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Jony Ive designs one-of-a-kind iPad Pro, Smart Cover and Apple Pencil case for special Design Museum auction

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To help raise money for the relocation of the prestigious London Design Museum, Apple has submitted a very special lot to be sold at auction. Jony Ive has designed a one-of-a-kind iPad Pro and set of accessories, labelled ‘Edition 1 of 1’. The lot includes a 12.9 inch iPad Pro with a custom yellow-gold anodised finish, a blue leather Smart Cover and an Apple Pencil case cover — an accessory that Apple doesn’t sell at all today. It’s a small carry case for the Pencil, made with orange Italian calf leather. To denote the exclusivity of the products, an ‘Edition 1 of 1’ label has been engraved into the iPad Pro and underside of the Smart Cover.

Given its special edition nature, the auction is expected to sell for a tidy premium over Apple’s normal iPad Pro pricing …

The collection has an estimated auction price between £10,000 and £15,000 (about $20,000). It’s a very special collectors item of course, details about the auction can be found here. Unsurprisingly, the Design Museum is very grateful for Apple’s contribution. Via Wallpaper:

Ive’s new products are in single editions, designed exclusively for the Design Museum event. To prove it, ‘Edition 1 of 1’ has been laser etched on the back surface of the iPad and the interior surface of the ‘Smart Cover’.

‘We are extremely grateful to the friends of the museum who had donated such outstanding pieces to help us fulfill our ambition of creating one of London’s most important new cultural sites,’ says Design Museum curator (and auction co-curator) Deyan Sudjic.

Perhaps Apple will release the Apple Pencil cover as a mass-market product in time, or it was something they considered but decided not to continue developing.

 

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Comments

  1. Alex Moran - 8 years ago

    If that pencil holder magnetically attaches to the Smart Cover then il have one please

    • PhilBoogie - 8 years ago

      It’s not for me; won’t go good together with my red Mac Pro¡

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      The Pencil should have a smart connector, so
      you can charge it and have it magnetically cling to your iPad.

    • iali87 - 8 years ago

      For that money, you can hire a bodyguard to hold the heavy pen for you wherever you go.

  2. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    Surprised Apple does not sell leather Smart cases for the 12.9″ Pro. It’s only has black and white silicone smart covers. Which cost $59 and $79 each and would cost $138 to protect both sides of the Pro. They should have flipped the magnets so they could had a smart case like the Air 2 that covers the front and back at he same time and leaves acces to the smart connector.

  3. Richard Hallas - 8 years ago

    That’s truly hideous. What a revolting collection of ill-matched and lurid colours.

  4. elme26bih - 8 years ago

    The blue Smart Cover and the orange cover for the pencil looks nice. But the iPad Pro is really ugly. :(

  5. tohaklim - 8 years ago

    That “yellow” is horrible.
    Reminds me of the Ukrainian flag all together

  6. Steve32 - 8 years ago

    so Jony Ive designed “color” congratulations to him

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      They should used the same yellow from 4th and 5th generation iPod nano. I am not a fan of this kiss yellow color.

    • rnc - 8 years ago

      What you know about color? If you think it’s easy, then why aren’t you doing?

      • Charlypollo - 8 years ago

        Yeah man! Try to do your colors Steve, lets see what happens. Ive invented the colors and he is the reason we don’t see the world in black and white.

  7. ilyasyurdaon - 8 years ago

    Painting is the new “designing” nowadays.

  8. Azbycxdwev - 8 years ago

    Now, I don’t know where this photo’s from, but look at the top right corner of the iPad with the Smart Cover on it. The indicators look different. They’re farther from the edges, which makes me think that that’s iOS 10 with a rumored design change.

  9. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    Ive designed that? It looks like something a second grader would colour.

  10. Alex_dlc - 8 years ago

    Why would the pen holder be orange though? It doesn’t match the other colors at all.

  11. Mike McKee - 8 years ago

    Same old “if you think it looks hideous, then you are not sophisticated enough to understand it” conceit. Reminds me of iOS 7 and every version since. Cartoonish oversimplification and kindergarten colors. This kind of hipster nonsense is rampant in today’s “art world.” The ultimate is the occasional hanging of a blank canvas in a gallery, followed by the predictable whispered exclamations of “profound!” and “so deep!” from the pretentious, but gullible patrons.

    That’s not to say Ive isn’t talented….he is. And there is a beauty to well-executed minimalist design (which has mostly served Apple well). But I think “designers” can drink too much of their own kool aid and begin to believe that minimalism and “flat design” are the only way to go. I think Ive and Apple have gone too far in that direction with iOS at this point, needing to reintroduce a sense of fine detail and craftsmanship. There’s some middle ground there that should be explored.

    Until relatively recently, art was considered something that displayed the skill of the artist, and which was beautiful to behold. Unlike this special edition iPad, it wasn’t something that a third-grader with a box of crayons could produce. I think the fact that we now consider anything profane, “edgy”, or ridiculously simplistic to be worthy of the term “art” is a clear indictment of our present society.

    • mrobertson21 - 8 years ago

      While I agree with the sentiment about this stupid iPad (it’s nothing more than a different colorway, and its hideous!), to say that this kind of thing is a new trend in art or that it’s “a clear indictment of our present society” is itself a lazy and pretentious observation.

  12. Smigit - 8 years ago

    Unlike some others, I like the colours.

    • Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

      Blue and yellow are complimentary but that yellow is not intense enough to compliment. It come out looking kinda pee/nasty fungus/last weeks lemonade, yellow. And the blaze, hunting vest orange pencil is just out of place.

  13. Danny Shin - 8 years ago

    Now if you drop that thing, hmmm, how do it get it fixed… oh yeah, thats right, its Edition 1 of 1. :(

  14. sword2pen - 8 years ago

    Jony Ive is a legend and inspiration, but that yellow gold is horrible. I hope it looks a lot better in reality!

  15. dksmidtx - 8 years ago

    Slow news day?

  16. Guy B Serle - 8 years ago

    Instead of whining about the colors (no I wouldn’t want it either and so far I have no use for the pencil at all), try reading the story. It’s a one-off to raise money to help move the museum. Get a grip people and relax. Go buy a Surface instead if that’s what you want.

  17. marlon465 - 7 years ago

    so we notice that its actually the same Apple Pencil Case Design but eliminated the color

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.