iPad Pro Keyboard Comparison: Logitech's $160 Folio Touch vs. Apple's $300 Magic Keyboard

[Antes]

The real issue with the Logitech is that if I just want to read a book in my hand or put the iPad onto the holder for my exercise bike to do a class, I've gotta pry the damn thing out of that Logitech case and feel every time like I'm going to break the case or iPad.

That simple magnetic snap is the real draw to the Magic Keyboard for me. It is however obscenely overpriced.

Why would you take it out of its case though?
one of reasons i got the Logitech case was because i was able to shift from landscape to portrait with the case still and the keyboard just moved behind It.
sure it’s a bit thick and has the weight of a college textbook but I find that has its advantages such as with drop protection.

 

[spinedoc77]

Just put a freakin kickstand on it already and we won't need any of these atrocious unwieldy contraptions.

 

[fhall1]

Why would you take it out of its case though?
one of reasons i got the Logitech case was because i was able to shift from landscape to portrait with the case still and the keyboard just moved behind It.
sure it’s a bit thick and has the weight of a college textbook but I find that has its advantages such as with drop protection.

So it fits in the holder on his exercise bike...as he stated

 

[Tech198]

Why would you take it out of its case though?
one of reasons i got the Logitech case was because i was able to shift from landscape to portrait with the case still and the keyboard just moved behind It.
sure it’s a bit thick and has the weight of a college textbook but I find that has its advantages such as with drop protection.

Probably for the same reasons iPhone owners don't a case, we don't wanna ruin the beauty.

 

[Apple_Robert]

TL;DR

Unsurprisingly MR sides with Apple big time.

TL;DR

MR doesn’t side with Apple big time. MR reports rumors, product releases and at times a staff member may offer a personal opinion about a product, which is not the same thing as MR siding with Apple.

 

[dazz87]

Way tooo bulky............No thanks

 

[7149041]

That Logitech thing is so ugly I wouldn’t take if it was free. Happy to have given Apple yet another couple hundred bucks.

But competition is good, hopefully Apple will be inspired to build a version with better angles and some function keys in the future.

 

[Draven2000]

I’ve got both the MK and the LFT. I really wanted to like the LFT but the thickness just kills it for me. Lapability is a huge letdown as well. The keys feel mushier, with less travel than the MK. Yeah, I can fold the keyboard back but like I said, this thing is thiiiiick. You add a keyboard folded to the back of it and it’s a real chonker. The MK is nearly twice the price, but I think it’s twice the product.

 

[Sodium Chloride]

When using the Apple Pencil, I don’t want to see the keyboard or the case whatsoever. For this reason, the Magic keyboard better suits my need. I can take the iPad in and out of the Magic Keyboard effortlessly. The Logitech on the other hand, as Surf760 has pointed out, is too much trouble for this purpose.

 

[tubomac]

That Logitech thing is so ugly I wouldn’t take if it was free. Happy to have given Apple yet another couple hundred bucks.

But competition is good, hopefully Apple will be inspired to build a version with better angles and some function keys in the future.

I agree with you.
You don't really need an expensive iPad Pro for having things done (there are less expensive iPads too), if you buy it it's because you ALSO appreciate it's beautiful design. So, it makes no sense putting that sort of catafalque that is the logitech Folio.

 

[Surf760]

Why would you take it out of its case though?
one of reasons i got the Logitech case was because i was able to shift from landscape to portrait with the case still and the keyboard just moved behind It.
sure it’s a bit thick and has the weight of a college textbook but I find that has its advantages such as with drop protection.

I read a lot for work on my iPad. Holding that keyboard case in your hand for sometimes hours, folded or not, is not comfortable.

Moreover, it simply won't fit in my exercise bike holder with the case on, too much depth to the case. All these 3rd party holders attached to a myriad of things are fitted to the iPad with a minimal case at most, not something bulky. Trust me, I tried the Logitech folio keyboard on my 9.7" iPad, but had to return it. Will probably pick up a 12.9" Pro around next release, but annoyed at how expensive the Magic Keyboard is. Nonetheless, the Logitech case is unfortunately a non-starter.

 

[D.T.]

There's no extra USB-C port on the Folio Touch like there is on the Magic Keyboard, which is a negative if you want to use an extra accessory, plus the cutout is a little bit small so it might not work with docks.

I thought the USB-C connector on the Magic Keyboard only worked for charging, i.e., you can't connect something like a USB-C hub (that also supplies power back upstream).

So in either case, you're either connecting an accessory directly to the devices USB-C port, or you can additionally attach power + a peripheral to the MK setup I guess? So you could power and connect a drive or non-powered hub[?]

That was one of my main bummers with the MK, I wanted to be able to leave a combined power+hub connected, and be able to remove the devices (and leave everything else connected).

 

[0128672]

I thought the USB-C connector on the Magic Keyboard only worked for charging, i.e., you can't connect something like a USB-C hub (that also supplies power back upstream).

So in either case, you're either connecting an accessory directly to the devices USB-C port, or you can additionally attach power + a peripheral to the MK setup I guess? So you could power and connect a drive or non-powered hub[?]

That was one of my main bummers with the MK, I wanted to be able to leave a combined power+hub connected, and be able to remove the devices (and leave everything else connected).

I'm a little confused about what you're describing. The extra USB-c connector (in the hinge) is for charging only. I don't have a hub to test with, but couldn't a hub be connected to the primary USB-c port for use with peripherals and use the extra USB-c for charging? I use it this way with an external drive in the primary and charging in the extra at the same time.

 

[jerryk]

Tried them both. Both are heavy and bulky. For me, the Logitech was more useful because I use the iPad as a media consumption and short memo device. The Magic keyboard is meant for someone who types a lot. But, in the end, neither worked for me so I sent them back. What I need is the lightweight folio keyboard with backlit keys. Is that too much to ask?

 

[Shirasaki]

I assume both keyboard cases require iPad being used in a somewhat stationary fashion like a laptop. Magic Keyboard has a huge advantage of easily taking away the iPad when needed while Logitech Folio needs time to setup and tear down, something that can be detrimental for a device as thin and fragile as iPad. First party support also means compatibility is out of the question, while Logitech one has higher chance of having issues.

I am not a huge fan of smart connector. My Smart Keyboard Folio frequently needs to adjust or remove and attach to restore functionality. Small movements on iPad can create bad connection and eventually bad experience, something neither companies can reliably rectify I’d argue.

Function key on Logitech Folio is definitely a huge plus and I don't know why Apple hates function key row.

 

[7149041]

I thought the USB-C connector on the Magic Keyboard only worked for charging, i.e., you can't connect something like a USB-C hub (that also supplies power back upstream).

So in either case, you're either connecting an accessory directly to the devices USB-C port, or you can additionally attach power + a peripheral to the MK setup I guess? So you could power and connect a drive or non-powered hub[?]

That was one of my main bummers with the MK, I wanted to be able to leave a combined power+hub connected, and be able to remove the devices (and leave everything else connected).

The extra connector is power only, so all accessories need to go in the iPad port. I know what you mean, MK is not a docking station because of that. I don’t plug anything into my iPad (or Mac for that matter) so that does not bother me.

I believe the three-pin connector in the back of the iPad simply does not support data transfer.

 

[drzen]

I just ended up getting the standalone Magic Keyboard (the compact Bluetooth one) and a Magic Trackpad 2 for whenever I want to sit at a desk and have a "computer" experience - the iPad sits on a Twelve South Compass Pro stand. Otherwise my iPad Pro remains in its slim Apple case for minimal bulk and ease of use while holding and reading etc.

Price aside, I don't expect the $300 plastic covered Magic Keyboard case being anywhere as durable as this setup. My setup cost me a whole lot less and offers a much nicer experience.

 

[JulesK]

I love my MK. Thanks for eBay, I have the Smart Keyboard and Smart Folio covers, too, and it's very nice to be able to switch between them easily depending on use. But the MK is hands down the one thing that has made the iPad a laptop replacement for me. Insanely expensive, but I would buy it again without hesitation.

 

[MandiMac]

Love it that the keys, how typing and travel of the keys aren't even mentioned in the article.

 

[TrevorR90]

The Logitech one seems too thick. I like the Magic keyboard for my 12.9.

 

[haruhiko]

What is the weight of the Logitech folio?

 

[bushman4]

Magic Keyboard overpriced but satisfying

 

[pasamio]

As a frequent flyer there’s no way the Logitech would work - doesn’t look like it would fit on the seat back tray tables at all

I think it'd work on the back tray tables, you'd be putting the display against the seat in front of you though to make it work.

I don't like how the Folio Touch has a kickstand now rather than being able to self support with just the keyboard like the Slim Folio Pro. I had the Magic Keyboard but I didn't like it's lack of function keys and the lack of support of the pencil. The flaps on the Logitech cases make me confident I have my pencil with me where as I know of at least one person who lost their pencil with the Magic Keyboard. As someone who does travel with the iPad, or at least I did before the pandemic, I think I might go back to the Slim Folio Pro because it keeps the pencil safe, has the function keys and is supportable free standing which is valuable for typing in a bunch of different places.

 

[bobob]

Odd comparison since they represent two distinct product categories:

Keyboard Case vs. Keyboard Dock

 

[Unami]

I got the logitech - it's a fine product. Only downside is the bulk it adds.

It adds around another ipad air thickness to the back of my ipad air - and god knows why. It's only plastic and air. Add the keyboard and you just doubled the weight and tripled the size of your ipad.

Another minor complaint - the keyboard is to heavy to be held by the magnets - lift the ipad up or try to fold the keyboard back like a smart cover and it will drop to the ground.

But still - it's a nice thing to have and makes your ipad a lot more like a laptop (sans enough ram and proper multitasking). A little expensive maybe for something that probably won't fit on ipads 1-2 generations in the future.