tzimisce
iPF Noob
Considering that this is being used to protect an electronic product that will be outdated in 2-3 years, it will not be used long enough for it to degrade. Just doesn't make sense to me to spend the kind of money on the so called genuine leather product when in reality, most of us will have moved on to another electronic device by the time "genuine leather" has had time to develop a patina or weather-in".
Not quite true. I've had a leather cover from Oberon for my iPad for about six months now, which is constantly in use (it has flown with me over 40,000km around the world) and already it has acquired the characteristics of leather usage and has a very satisfying texture to the touch which it did not have on day one. The way that genuine leather will season with use is one of the reasons why leather owners pay a premium to enjoy the product.
As to longevity of the device, it depends on the individual. If you're constantly planning to upgrade (or even upgrade every other version), then of course you need to consider how much you want to spend on accessories. The main advantage of PU or synthetic leather is that it costs less (although not that much less, looking at some of the Belkin, Targus, etc products) but that's about it, I think.