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New 12.9-inch iPad Pro Not Compatible With Older Magic Keyboard

Bearygoodfries1 said:
If this is the case, then there are two reasons why Apple says it’s not compatible:

- More sales/money.

- Possible legal reasons (an angry consumer might sue Apple for any possible incompatibility with the new iPad Pro).
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Exactly.

I suspect it's more legal than anything else. If you've been to any accessory thread in the iPad section there are any number of posts saying the slightest imperfection is an immediate reason for a refund. I'm guessing this is Apple's way to avoid the endless chorus of complaints that the case isn't perfect with their previous gen iPP or the old case with the new.

If they also sell a few more new cases to older customers along the way who don't check their old case with a new iPad Pro first...

Hey! Hey! Hey!

200.gif


Like the 'P Diddy' of consumer electronics baby!
 
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RobArtLyn said:
That keyboard is a brand new product. Trivial to make it backwards compatible. Not the same thing as a product that has been on the market for years.
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The Magic Keyboard is a year old. Apple could have easily made it perfectly compatible last year as they surely had the design frozen on the M1 iPad Pro when developing the Magic Keyboard.
 
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does anyone know if the 4th gen Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro 12.9 will work with the 5th gen?
 
the keyboard/cover side of the 4th gen Smart Keyboard folio seems to have a little give to accommodate the thickness of the 5th gen
 
Rainshadow said:
I get your point and the point of many others on here. However, The 2018 and 2020 IPads are still very capable future proof iPads. I don’t consider Apple the one with the consumerism issue. They are just making products. It’s all these folks on here who want to have the yearly upgrade and all the accessories that amazes me. Do what you all want with your money but I upgrade every 3-5 years on each device. Not right or wrong, just saying that it doesn’t make Apple evil. Sure, it would be nice if they could have kept the keyboard the same, but apparently they couldn’t.

the funniest arguement: This creates ewaste... Apple is a hypocrite!

Don’t want ewaste? Don’t make ewaste by upgrading a year old product. Solved. The products didn’t stop working and they are still supported.
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I am happy to admit when I’m wrong, and me considering upgrading from my 2018 12.9 to the 2021 12.9 was purely an illogical want. So I fall in to that consumerism group. I’ve always enjoyed new Apple products but lately I feel the product hardware has gotten so good that it’s made it tougher and tougher for me personally to justify shelling out the money year over year. I’m also a medical student without that kind of disposable income.
 
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GuruZac said:
I know! It was going to be purely a want since I don’t need the M1 horsepower for anything I do…but I’m pretty weak when it comes to restraint from new Apple products lol. I’m happy with my 2018 iPad Pro/Magic Keyboard setup. It’ll work great for another year. I’ve now got my eyes set on potentially getting an M1 MacBook Air, but may wait to see what the 14” MacBook Pros look like.
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yeah be interesting what 14 inch MacBook Pro brings...I love my M1 air so I will stick with this for a while. Will fill a need when I need a keyboard.

I won’t be buying another MK thats for sure
 
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Well earlier I posted about this subject. I may go to plan "C". Order for pick-up in Apple Store and trade-in 2018 at the same time. But first try my original MK with a 2021. If it is a no go, then decide to walk away, or do the deal, and order a new MK 2021. This assumes I can get into my local Apple Store due to COVID restrictions. Right now it is by appointment. It may be hard getting an appointment once the 2021 iPP arrives. Geez, this is a lot of work.
 
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Synna said:
Maybe this point has been made before, but if the 2020 keyboard cannot be used for the 2021 iPad because it would not close properly, shouldn't that mean in reverse that the 2021 keyboard cannot be used with iPads from 2020 and earlier? Those iPads are thinner, so if the 2021 keyboard is optimised to close properly when the 2021 iPad is used, it would probably leave a tiny gap around the hinges when being used with "earlier" iPads.

Thus, I also think it's ridiculous why the older keyboard should not be working anymore.
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Exactly my thoughts... I was actually one of those that bought an Amazon return on Tuesdday.. got it for like $267. it arrived today and looks brand new. Hoping the new ipad arrives before the 30 day return window with Amazon...
 
Now The Verge is claiming the same thing. Though no one seems to be able to say if ”not compatible” is literal or not. If it is that’s an incredibly crappy thing for Apple to do. The company has a roadmap on products. They should be able to design a $350 accessory to last longer than one year. I’m sure there’s plenty of 2018 iPad Pro owners who bought this keyboard last year (like me). And how pathetic of John Gruber to say it sucks but he doesn’t know what else Apple could have done. How about plan ahead and future proof a bit? Especially for a company that claims to care about the environment.

www.theverge.com

Apple’s new 12.9-inch iPad Pro might not fit in original $349 Magic Keyboard

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro might need a new Magic Keyboard.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

daringfireball.net

New 12.9-Inch iPad Pro Isn’t Compatible With Last Year’s Magic Keyboard

Link to: https://9to5mac.com/2021/04/23/psa-new-12-9-inch-ipad-pro-isnt-compatible-with-the-older-magic-keyboard/
daringfireball.net daringfireball.net
 
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Sadly, the only indisputable answer here is: we will have to wait and see until people get the new iPad Pros in their hands to test this.

But personally, I'm guessing this is the same as the iPhone X/iPhone XS case differences: they are completely interchangable but Apple doesn't list them as such because there ends up being a tiny gap on the side of the camera cutout because the specs are ever so slightly different.
 
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Logitech and Brydge keyboards are on the way. Both will work with new 12.9 iPad Pro..check out details at my YouTube channel ( Ken88 ) not the barber shop..the blue Ken88 one😊
 
GDF said:
That is BS. The 12.9 Magic Keyboard is too expensive to make it a one year and done accessory. It is stuff like that is that will eventually drive away customers. I am the most avid Apple Fanboy and this even pisses me off. At least have it compatible for more than a year Apple or have generous trade in program for your Magic Keyboard!
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Keyboard Cases from any number of manufacturers are almost always year / model specific. Not just an Apple thing.
Ken88 said:
Logitech and Brydge keyboards are on the way. Both will work with new 12.9 iPad Pro..check out details at my YouTube channel ( Ken88 ) not the barber shop..the blue Ken88 one😊
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Will the old ones work with the new iPads though ?
 
jk1221 said:
But we're environmentally friendly. Meanwhile creates e-waste with a 1 year old $300+ product that can't be re-used.

If this was a cheap well under $100 basic form-fitting case, ok sucks but ok. The dimensions are slightly different. But this thing was already WAY overpriced.

And they could have left a bit extra space (talking 1-2mm) in the thickness when closing up. There was nothing preventing that like a traditional case that wraps around.

This is intentional obsolescence. Regardless what Apple fanboy sites want to say claiming "There’s no conspiracy to make you buy a new keyboard." Rigghhhhtttt
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if it was intentional obsolescence, they would have done it to the 11” iPad Pro too.

they didn’t because 11” isn’t thicker because it doesn’t have mini LED

plus what does the price have to do wi5 being environmentally friendly? if anything, the price is preventing a lot of people from upgrading their existing 12.9” to the new one which is the most environmentally friendly option.
 
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We need someone like the reviewers to test the dam thing before Friday with the 2020 keyboard
 
I don’t understand the problem! Just buy the new keyboard! If you can afford the iPad Pro you can afford a new keyboard! Most of you want the white one anyway!
 
I wonder if it will work stationary. I sometimes just leave it plugged in on my desk and dock when I am by my desk. Not too concerned with it, now if they added the ability to have a display dongle + charger that would change my mind on buying a new one
 
JohnIrvine said:
Something doesn’t add up.

1. You can absolutely shove more than 0.5mm‘s worth of paper between the screen of the 12.9” iPad Pro and the keys of the Magic Keyboard and it closes just fine.

2. The CURRENT Smart Keyboard Folio (the softer floppy one) for sale works with all of the current formfactor 12.9” iPad Pro units as well as the upcoming 2021 model, so that means the camera hole and the Smart Connector must be in the same place and the magnet positions haven’t moved, or else it wouldn’t be compatible either.

With those two things being true, I can’t see how the new one COULDN’T fit, work, and close. It just doesn’t make sense.
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I used to have a thick glass shield on my iPad Pro 2018 and it worked just fine. I think this is bogus. Everybody is pointing to the same source.
 
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