The Sena Florence Portfolio for the New iPad Review

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As I wrote in our preview of the Sena Florence Portfolio, I love Sena’s cases and am particularly fond of their Florence for the iPad. It is thin, form-fitting, light and is a great all-purpose iPad case. That is why it is one of my all time favorite iPad cases. That is also why it is back on my iPad after a brief period when Elana “stole” it from me.

I was excited to see Sena expand this design with their new Florence Portfolio. It sounded like the perfect iPad case for someone who uses an iPad 90% of the time but still needs to have pad and pen available. It sounded perfect and, after using it for a few days, I can attest to the fact that… it is!

Let’s take a look.

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From Sena:

The Florence Portfolio is a simple and functional design for the The New iPad. It is perfect for those who prefer to have their essentials and iPad at the same time.

 

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Features:

Integrated 2 positions (typing&viewing)

Cutouts for play-thru functionality

Energy saving sleep function activator

Secure snap closure

Micro-Fiber lining with protective layer

4 Credit Card Pockets, 1 ID Pocket

2 Multi-Purpose pockets

1 Pen holder and 1 Writing pad pocket

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As you can see, the Florence Portfolio is a thin, form-fitting case.

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I love the way it gracefully wraps around the curved back of the new iPad. and I love how precise the cutouts are. They simply make this case look super-classy. Better still, it feels great to hold since the leather adds just enough softness and “grip” to the otherwise hard, slippery device.

As the video hopefully shows, this is a beautiful case. Even Elana thinks so!

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Here is the view when the case is open and being used in “old-school” mode. On the right is the slot for a pad of paper (one pad is included). Next to it is the pen ring for keeping a pen/stylus close by at all times.

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On the right side there is a windowed space for a license, a few card slats and a full-height slot for a few papers. All of these combine to create a situation in which you can, if necessary, ONLY carry your Florence Portfolio for the day. Yes, it can serve as your iPad case, note folio and wallet.

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The company includes a pen/stylus with the case. [EDIT] The one included with mine is not the one that will be shipping with the Folio. (The one here is actually quite nice, but I find it to be a bit thick. It adds to the bulk of the otherwise slim case.) The new pens are in, are quite thin and we will have one in hand by the end of the week. We will update this section at that time.

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Here is the view when the case is open and being used in “new-school” mode. It looks, feels and functions just like the Sena Florence. That’s a good thing since, in my opinion, the Florence is one of the best iPad cases available today.

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The case wraps the iPad is a frame of leather. This offers protection and insures the iPad stays put while leaving it fully accessible.

The company maintained the same velcro and leather closure method as on the Florence. You simply take the tab of leather than can be seen on the left side of the picture and put it under the iPad. The Velcro does the rest.

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Flipping the cover to the back, the edge slips into the small tab of leather that sits quietly sporting the Sena name. This creates a triangle and serves as a simple, but effective, stand.

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Here’s a better view.

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And another.

As you can imagine, when used this way you will get a nice typing angle if you are using the onscreen keyboard.

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You can use the iPad in this orientation and view it more easily. This is perfect if you are using an external Bluetooth keyboard or watching a video.

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Best of all, with this case you can combine old and new into one sleek, thin, gorgeous package.

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I am quite impressed by this case. I can’t see myself  using it every day though, as it does add a bit of weight, and since I really don’t use paper and pen all that frequently I don’t need  to carry both. However, I can definitely see myself using it at a conference, or when I have a long day of meetings, which is exactly how I plan on using the case. It is a beautiful portfolio that has everything I love about the original Sena Florence (which is still available by the way), but this case adds flexibility. As more and more of us use the iPad in our work-settings, this is one case whose time has come!

The Sena Florence Portfolio is available in Red, Brown and Black. Details and ordering information can be found here on the Sena website.

MSRP: $119.95

What I Like: Sena quality and design; Protects your iPad, lets you keep paper and pen handy and can serve triple-duty as your wallet if need be; Creates a two-position stand; Thin and rather light for all it offers

What Needs Improvement: Nothing.

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

2 Comments on "The Sena Florence Portfolio for the New iPad Review"

  1. I love this case in the brown, as shown! This looks fantastic for business meetings and those times when you need you really want to feel paper under your hand as you work something out. Or am I the only one who ever needs that? 😉

    • techfashion | May 22, 2012 at 10:38 am |

      This seems like a great case for business meetings and interviews. No more struggle to look for a place take notes with the iPad.

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