Apple today announced a TechWoven Smart Folio for the new iPad mini bringing its woven fabric to an iPad cover for the first time and replacing the previous, long-standing polyurethane design.

With no polyurethane alternative announced, the new iPad mini looks set to become the first ‌iPad‌ since the original model in 2010 to launch without an Apple polyurethane cover option. Apple introduced the material with the ‌iPad‌ 2's Smart Cover in 2011, continuing through subsequent ‌iPad‌ Smart Covers and Smart Folios until today.

The new accessory comes in Navy Blue and Taupe, complementing the ‌iPad mini‌'s Midnight and Starlight finishes . It costs $79 in the U.S., a $20 increase over the previous-generation Smart Folio.

Alongside the material change, Apple has redesigned the cover with a two-panel construction.…