Agreed, but so far, it seems like iPadOS itself is likely to not change functionally all that much. Widgets anywhere on the Home Screen and probably some under the hood improvements. I’ve decided to hold on to my 2018 12.9 and Magic Keyboard combo until the next generation iPad Pro. I’ll hold out until the 14” MacBoom Pro comes out and replace my base 2017 MacBook Pro
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New 12.9-inch iPad Pro Not Compatible With Older Magic Keyboard
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I think you’re probably on the money although the tech reviews on YouTube will be confirming this no doubt soon.As others have already pointed out. The Verge noted that the checked their sources and confirmed it.
But we can confirm this ourselves! Apple lists the a new keyboard for the 12.9 iPad Pro on the store if you drill down. It isn't yet available for purchase either.
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
If you were to do the same for the 11" they don't list a new generation and the only keyboard they list as unavailable right now is the White Keyboard that we all know is new. So they are clearly saying they have a new keyboard here. This is as confirmed as we'll get. The question remaining is why this is happening. It obviously isn't thickness.
View attachment 1762945
It isn't thickness I bet. If I were a betting man (I'm not) then I'd place my wager on magnet placement. They moved the magnets in such a way to either make the case unable to securely hold the tablet or the tablet will get pulled by the strong magnets into an alignment that prevents the smart connector from properly aligning. Either way, they should have made this distinction clear during the keynote or on the store pages... For a company claiming to focus on the environment they also should make sure these lasts longer than 1 year... I'd even wager a swap with a purchase should be allowed so these can be recycled properly and potentially turned into refurbs.
Apple probably has a magnetic strength they require for their stress testing and with the extra weight the iPad may not break its magnetic connection easier than Apple is comfortable with. There are only three things at play here:
1. The Mk can't close (already tested false)
2. The magnet position has changed (since the keyboard is backwards compatible this is it)
3. The iPad doesn't remain attached as securely (a heavier iPad has the same effect as weaker magnets)
I'm betting its 3.
I don’t think that thickness can be ruled out completely. The 11-inch has not changed in thickness at all; 2018, 2020, and 2021 are identically thick. That could explain why there isn’t a new 11-in. keyboard. Additionally, Smart Folio, which does not rely on magnets, is also new for 5th Gen. iPad Pro 12.9. It’s conceivable that both the Smart Folio and Magic Keyboard are just a tiny bit wider in the new versions.As others have already pointed out. The Verge noted that the checked their sources and confirmed it.
But we can confirm this ourselves! Apple lists the a new keyboard for the 12.9 iPad Pro on the store if you drill down. It isn't yet available for purchase either.
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
If you were to do the same for the 11" they don't list a new generation and the only keyboard they list as unavailable right now is the White Keyboard that we all know is new. So they are clearly saying they have a new keyboard here. This is as confirmed as we'll get. The question remaining is why this is happening. It obviously isn't thickness.
Magnet placement and weight are plausible reasons, but thickness can’t yet be ruled out, in my opinion.
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I wish they would have at least added some new features. Then I could justify buying a new magic keyboard.
This is a bit off topic and I know it’s wishful thinking, but I just hope that there’s a lot of noise around this and that it gets to the right ears. Not asking for a full fledged MacOS experience (not yet at least) but “Pro” apps like final cut, xcode, Logic, etc would be a darn welcomed addition (and I would upgrade my 11” to any of the M1 in a heartbeat).
For some reason, an iPadPro + smart folio keyboard is fine combo. For me, it became exploration grounds and lowered some motivational/psychological/etc entry barriers. Suddenly I found myself learning to draw, plugging midi keyboards to it in garage band, jumping back and forth for markup continuity annotations, affinity photo/designer and more. Pretty sure if XCode were to happen I would finally put to work all the tons of hours I have spent watching Swift related tutorials but didn’t find the willpower to write them physically.
(For context: I spend an unhealthy amount of time and effort daily in C#/Unity/3D/Sound/MotionGraphics land daily and on the weekends I don’t want to touch a desktop anymore)
This changes everything lol. True courage.They have! It’s available in white
😂
I think I’ll get the North Korean iPad Pro instead. The innovators in that country at least have the best interest of us consumers in mind. Capitalism never gave us any good products.
Unless your magic keyboard is in mint condition, it likely has virtually zero resale value. To Apple or to anyone else.
The trade-in programme’s value for Apple is that it provides them with a steady stream of used Apple products that they can then refurbish and resell in the gray market.
It makes no sense for Apple to extend this programme to something that can’t be readily resold like the magic keyboard or AirPods.
They are intentionally making new iPad look like a bad deal, because it is a future. They still need to make money of laptops somehow, at least for a year or two.
If it is not compatible, I don’t want to hear Apple say what an environment friendly company they are, because making the 2020 Magic Keyboard obsolete after one year is not even close to being environmentally freindly and they should be crucified over it, if the above is true.
Which is why it should last more than one year. I guarantee you there are people who have an older iPad Pro with a MK they bought last year. They’d like to upgrade the iPad but don’t need to upgrade the keyboard. And from the looks of it there is no difference in the functionality of this new keyboard. Apple certainly didn’t mention anything. People can stomach having to buy a new phone case but a $350 keyboard?
It does. There's nothing wrong with it and it'll last longer.
All I've read for years now us complaining about how thin the iPad is and how fragile it is as a result.
So now it's thicker and everyone's complaining....
This only effects the 12.9" model - you know - the one with a radically different screen technology.
My Magic Keyboard for the 9.3" original isn't remotely useful for the newer iPads. Never bothered me.
This also only effects folk who buy new every year - and if that's your gig then, to be quite frank, stop complaining because you're already burning through several hundred bucks in the process.
How is this any different from say, the iPhone battery case? People buy it because it's more integrated with the iPhone compared to say, a separate power bank. But they have to have known that this case likely will not be compatible with subsequent iPhone models. If you are the kind to upgrade your device every year, then maybe an integrated accessory designed to work only with a specific model isn't the best choice. If you see yourself holding on to your iPhone for 3-4 years, then it makes more financial sense.
I don't think Apple purposely went out of their way to force people to buy a separate Smart Keyboard for the new iPad Pro but at the same time, they are not going to force themselves to maintain backwards compatibility with an older product if it doesn't suit their design and engineering needs.
It's just the risk when you are buying a product that is designed to work really well with a specific product, vs a more generic product like a bluetooth keyboard. Even now, people choosing to buy the M1 iPad Pro will have to ask themselves the same question, because again, there is no guarantee that this iteration of the Smart Keyboard will work with the next refresh.
It’s because the magic keyboard is much more expensive. It was a tough pill to swallow for most buying it in the first place. Much less twice in two years.
My theory is that because the iPad "floats" Apple requires the magnets to have a specific attachment strength so it will stay attached despite being bumped or bounced around in a bag and the heavier iPad has the same effect as slightly weaker magnets. I bet the new iPad works just fine in the old MK, but since it doesn't meet Apple's stress tests well enough Apple won't endorse it for use.
You'll notice that the Keyboard Folio is compatible because it doesn't suspend the iPad in the Air.
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