Just Mobile’s TENC ($50) is a simple case for iPad Pro. TENC draws its naming inspiration from The Emperor’s New Clothes, and Just Mobile claims the clear matte plastic case is covered with a self-healing coating to guard against “casual scratches.” Outside of that however, TENC is really just a plastic shell case. Though we historically don’t review such cases for iPhone, many iPad cases don’t offer button coverage, and in the case of iPad Pro, we’ll be seeing a lot of cases leaving one side exposed for Smart Connector compatibility.
That’s TENC — a well-fitting plastic shell with an opening on the side of the case for Smart Connector accessories. TENC is a straightforward playthrough case, and doesn’t offer any integrated kickstand or Apple Pencil holder.
TENC’s self-healing coating did seem to work as advertising in testing — small scratches appeared to “self-heal” and blend back into the case. We didn’t attempt to destroy the case with deep gouges, but TENC does eliminate many of the typical sort of small scratches that might otherwise show on a clear case.
How much this actually matters will vary from user to user.
There’s really not much else to say about TENC itself — it’s a thin, light plastic case that will prevent scratches, but we wouldn’t feel too comfortable about its drop protection. The case does, however, raise questions about what users should look for in an iPad Pro case. While we appreciate a good playthrough iPad case, the size of iPad Pro does beg for a kickstand.
