Apple Launches Magic Keyboard Folio for 10th-Gen iPad With Two-Piece Design, Kickstand, and Function Row

[AppleFan1179]

A nice designed keyboard, but unfortunately you need a dongle to charge the pencil if you end up buying this model.

New slogan: "It's not Apple if you don't need an adapter."

 

[EugW]

What's the key spacing, 18 mm?

 

[canyonblue737]

Lol and the ungodly expensive Pro gets another year of the same Magic Keyboard. Wtf Apple….

Why is this a problem? The Magic Keyboard is very expensive and maintaining compatibility is a plus in my mind? The pivoting stand also is arguably a much nicer way of using iPad Pro then this 2 piece design for the regular iPad.

 

[NYCValkyrie]

I love the first generation of this product—when it was called the Logitech Combo Touch.

I mean, it's a great accessory. I love mine! lol

 

[KPOM]

now I’m not one of those people who gets upset when Apple diversifies lineups.
Contrary to what most people believe, Steve Jobs did the exact same thing all the time.
He did it with the Mac, he did it with the iPod, if he lived long enough, he most certainly would’ve done it with the iPhone and the iPad as well.
Having different options at different price points is a great idea to help increase market share, and to get more people into the ecosystem.
But… my god, this is one of the first times I have to say, what is going on with this overly complicated lineup?
Five different iPads in the lineup, three of which (the 10, the Air and the 11 inch Pro) are so similar that putting them side-by-side most people wouldn’t be able to tell a difference, two pencils (one of which needs an adapter to be useful), two different keyboards (one of which is only compatible with one model)… what is going on?
The last time Apple had a line up this complicated was like… Maybe the MacBooks in the late 2000s? When there was an aluminum 13 inch MacBook, a plastic 13 inch MacBook, a 13 inch MacBook Air, and a 13 inch MacBook Pro all which were basically the same when it came to specifications?
That’s the latest example I can think of.
This lineup needs a rethink or a reboot or something because… wow it’s a mess

The 9th generation is there solely to hit a price point. The 11" Pro would make more sense if it got the mini-LED display.

 

[lakerchick4life]

This would be fine if they had the exact same thing for the ipad pro than I would get it..I have the 2018 ipad pro and want to upgrade, even though today's announcement is not that much of an upgrade, for me since mine is 4 yrs old its good enough for me just wish it had this keyboard that I could get

 

[camsoft]

OMG it has an Escape key!

 

[TechRunner]

This is a nice piece of kit, really like the white, but the price is as out-there as that of the tablet it attaches to.

 

[tbayrgs]

I took it as meaning just that, next year’s upgrade will probably include these sorts of quality of life updates. That they didn’t do it this year is disappointing.

I’ll say this though, I like the style of the Magic Keyboard more than this new Magic Keyboard Folio because it‘s easier to use on your lap, etc. This new style seems like it would be unstable. And with the floating display design of the Magic Keyboard, there really isn’t room for a function row. Maybe they can figure that out somehow.

It also looks like maybe the trackpad on this new one is bigger than the one on my Magic Keyboard. Again, I assume this is due to the fact that the screen is further back on the new keyboard product.

I’ve used both extensively but ultimately switched to the Logitech with my iPP because it’s more versatile in every way except on your lap—more viewing angles, better protection, especially when used as a tablet, bigger trackpad and included function row. The kickstand also means I can remove the keyboard and still prop it up to watch video.

And yes, the Magic Keyboard is more stable on your lap but it’s still not a great experience when compared to traditional laptop stability.

 

[sorgo †]

I mean, it's a great accessory. I love mine! lol

Agreed, love the Combo Touch. It offers basically all of the same features (and more protection for the iPad itself) at approx. $100 cheaper

 

[iZac]

I honestly want exactly the kickstand half of this for the iPad Pro.

Just want the thing to lay flat on the table to draw with, with a magnetic kickstand instead of a case that wraps around the whole device.

 

[camsoft]

I have to upgrade my iPad Pro M1 and Smart Keyboard to M3 just to get an Escape key. Grrr

 

[sorgo †]

Wow, it seems Apple has now taken the Combo Touch off the Store since it competes perhaps too directly with (and undercuts) their new $249 ploy:





@MacRumors

 

[darngooddesign]

A nice designed keyboard, but unfortunately you need a dongle to charge the pencil if you end up buying this model.

The Pencil1 comes with everything you need to charge it using a USB to Lighting cable.

 

[Pentium]

The Pencil1 comes with everything you need to charge it using a USB to Lighting cable.

Yeah it comes with two lovely dongles. One to charge it and the second one to pair it / charge it from the new iPad.

 

[CharlesJ42]

Isn't this similar to the smart keyboard folio that already was sold by Apple?

Yes, but it has physical keys and a trackpad. The previous folio had spongy pillow type keys and no trackpad.

 

[darngooddesign]

Yeah it comes with two lovely dongles. One to charge it and the second one to pair it / charge it from the new iPad.

There is no dongle required to charge it from the iPad.

 

[Pentium]

There is no dongle required to charge it from the iPad.

There was no dongle required before today, starting today you will need a dongle because the new iPad is USB-C.

 

[mox358]

I posted this in another iPad Pro thread, it's no less valid in this one...

I don't understand why the worst iPad got the best keyboard, but keeps the bad Apple Pencil?

The new pros are a speed bump, and a slight screen/usability improvement?

This is just such a jumbled product lineup.

It's clear the Air basically needs to go, as it's in a middle ground that I don't think needs to exist.

Anyone who cares about power is going to go with a Pro for the extra couple hundred bucks.

Anyone who just wants an iPad for couch surfing and light emailing will just get the cheapest one available.

I just don't understand why anyone buys an iPad Pro right now unless they absolutely have to.

It's clear that Apple knows what people want in a keyboard, and I'd buy that keyboard for my iPad Pro RIGHT NOW if it was available. I hate that I can't lay my iPad down flat. HATE. I love the function keys and the larger trackpad. It's a fantastic design. And yet....only available for the base iPad. Seems dumb.

The camera shift to side of the iPad for use in landscape mode makes perfect sense and is overdue. It makes even MORE sense for the iPad Pro with Face ID that is covered by my thumb 85% of the time when I pick it up. Why in the hell wouldn't they do this for the new Pro? Seems dumb.

So, yeah, don't buy this new iPad Pro unless you absolutely 100% need NEED NEED an iPad Pro. Apple obviously knows what users want, and it's pretty clear where the design direction is going. It stands to reason the next iPad Pro should be a huge improvement. This one is a huge mistake, and should be boycotted out of principle.

You are exactly right - the lineup feels super disjointed right now. I wouldn’t say the new iPP is a mistake, but it’s for sure a stopgap. I agree with you that the next model will most likely be a more significant jump.

I have actually been planning on getting a new 12.9” this year, but after seeing the new iPP models aren’t getting the landscape camera or upgraded keyboard, I’m going to hold off. I’m still rocking my 2018 11” and it works really well, so I can afford to hold out for those QOL improvements.

 

[darngooddesign]

There was no dongle required before today, starting today you will need a dongle because the new iPad is USB-C.

There is still no dongle needed to keep using your Pencil 1 with your Lighting iPad. Sometimes you just need to buy new stuff when you upgrade hardware; if using your Pencil1 is mandatory then upgrade to the iPad9 instead of the iPad10.

I needed an adapter to use USB-A cables with my USB-C MBP.

I needed an adapter to use my Lighting iPhone and iPad with my 30-pin speaker dock.

You'll have better luck selling your old iPad if you include a Pencil with it.

 

[Pentium]

There is still no dongle needed to keep using your Pencil 1 with your Lighting iPad.

I needed an adapter to use USB-A cables with my USB-C MBP.

You'll have better luck selling your old iPad if you include a Pencil with it.

The whole thread is about the new keyboard for the new 10th gen iPad which just announced. I didn’t mean the old lightning iPad.

 

[mcic1984]

Whereas Apple has an excellent system for Apple bands/straps – two sizes, backward compatibility all the way back to the first generation, their iPad keyboard strategy is a complete mess that result in customer confusion and
will one day result in a whole load of expensive e-waste keyboards that cannot be used with anything else...

 

[1rottenapple]

Lol and the ungodly expensive Pro gets another year of the same Magic Keyboard. Wtf Apple….

I’m confused by this iPad. It’s more expensive and close in price to the air. I thought they would redesign but still offer the lower price but go-figure.

 

[darngooddesign]

Lol and the ungodly expensive Pro gets another year of the same Magic Keyboard. Wtf Apple….

The Pro has the smart connector on the back, the iPad has the smart connector on the side.

It would be ridiculous for Apple, who says they care about the environment, to break backwards compatibility by moving the Smart Connector.

 

[DMG35]

The Pro has the smart connector on the back, the iPad has the smart connector on the side.

It would be ridiculous for Apple, who says they care about the environment, to break backwards compatibility by moving the Smart Connector.

They don’t have to make the exact same heavy Magic Keyboard every year “for the environment.” They do it because it’s easy. I’m not saying they have to completely redesign it, but they could make a lighter keyboard for sure.

And to your point it’s ridiculous to think that Apple has to make a backwards compatible device every single year. They don’t, and shouldn’t.