It wouldn't make economic sense to offer two different keyboards with touchpads for the same model, they would cannibalize each other. The Magic Keyboard has obvious advantages over what was released for the iPad today.
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Apple Launches Magic Keyboard Folio for 10th-Gen iPad With Two-Piece Design, Kickstand, and Function Row
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It wouldn't make economic sense to offer two different keyboards with touchpads for the same model, they would cannibalize each other. The Magic Keyboard has obvious advantages over what was released for the iPad today.
If it was worth making a new keyboard for one model, you have to wonder why they couldn’t just make a Pencil 1.5 that plugged straight into the USB-C port.
You mean like they do now?
Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro 12.9 inch 6th generation US English - Apple
Apple Store Search Results
www.apple.com
Magic Keyboard for iPad Air 13-inch (M2) - US English - White
Magic Keyboard delivers an amazing typing experience, has a built-in trackpad, and provides front and back protection. Buy now at apple.com.
www.apple.com
Funny, I see it that middle ground as the sweet spot right now. M1 chip, Pencil 2, USB-C, cheaper than a Pro. I bought an Air in September.
I’d like that landscape front camera, but the Pro didn’t get that anyway!
Previous base-iPad seemed to have too many compromises and today’s update still has compromises. It’s fine if you just need the cheapest option.
(Lastly, count me as another happy Logitech Combo Touch owner… the current Air version is actually nicer than that the base-iPad LCT I bought in 2020. The current Air LCT can magnetically attach “backwards” to keep the keyboard present but out-of-the-way when using the iPad as a tablet. My old LCT had a removable keyboard but you had to put it aside when using the iPad as a tablet.)
You mean like they do now?
Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro 12.9 inch 6th generation US English - Apple
Apple Store Search Resultswww.apple.com
Magic Keyboard for iPad Air 13-inch (M2) - US English - White
Magic Keyboard delivers an amazing typing experience, has a built-in trackpad, and provides front and back protection. Buy now at apple.com.www.apple.com
I said keyboards with touchpads... the smart folio does not have a touchpad.
The row of function keys is one of the reasons why I sometimes prefer to use my iPad Pro with Combo Touch keyboard over my M1 Macbook with touch bar.
You think having more than one keyboard with a trackpad would be a bad thing? You realize that Apple now has 6 different iPads to choose from. The company that seems to think there can't be too many iPad choices all of a sudden can't make another keyboard to choose from?
They could have easily gotten rid of the woefully outdated folio keyboard and given Pro users a design like the 10th gen iPad is being given. Or like I said, they could have worked on the design of the magic keyboard. They don't have to make it "forever backward compatitble" like some of you want. There comes a time when its ok to innovate and make something new, and better. It's just being lazy on their part to offer the same keyboard again that they've been offering since they came out with it in 2020.
Oh, and why does the new keyboard have to be backward compatible anyway? Apple could easily carry the Magic keyboard for 2021 models and below while still come out with a new one for the new iPad. That might actually make people want to upgrade to the new Pro's.
The licensing agreement with Logitech probably still prohibits Apple from selling a similar Logitech combo product for the iPad Pro
So i guess I can never complain again that the Surface type cover costs only $99 starting price and the premium signature cover only costs $149......
THIS is the most underrated comment on here!!! Too funny. Thank heavens Apple finally implements a kickstand, although I still have to see if it is halfway decent. It still won't be as good as a SP which has the kickstand built in, but I suppose it will at least silence those who cry about having 1-2mm added to the iPad's thickness. Now Apple can I maybe get separate user accounts?
Almost identical. Maybe it's time for logitech to re-release their version with more colors.I love the first generation of this product—when it was called the Logitech Combo Touch.
I just don't get the appeal of kickstands, they have a super large footprint which makes them difficult to use on the move, on laps or tray tables. The magic keyboard is a much superior solution, just needs a row of F keys (would still fit half size I reckon, reduce the trackpad a few mm if required).
They aren't hard to use on a lap, I posted a video some time ago of how easy it was to use my SP on my lap with the kickstand and typing on the keyboard cover and how stable it is, even pecking hard at the screen or keyboard. Certainly it's a heck of a lot easier than the top heavy magic keyboard which wobbles all over the place on a lap, just my experience but I only used one for a little bit, while I use my SP like that almost every day.
With that said I have no idea how Apple's new "kickstand" will function without having one in my hands. I still prefer the SP kickstand because if you don't want to use it, just fold it up and forget it's there versus adding a bulky, heavy, thick case for the iPad.
Thanks, yes that did look convincing. Let's see what Apple does with the Pro iPads next year. In the meantime I *may* even be tempted by the Surface Pro 9.
Sigh….. they should’ve also made this work with iPad Pros……
big missed opportunity for Apple.
big missed opportunity for Apple.