Review: Logitech's Folio Touch With Trackpad for iPad Pro is an Affordable Alternative to Apple's Magic Keyboard

[jmgregory1]

This Logitech keyboard is simply forcing the iPad Pro to be a laptop. Both of Apple’s keyboards, the Magic and Folio, make it so easy to shift from laptop-like device to tablet form with zero prying of the device from a case. Maybe there are people who are ok with that, as they’re ONLY using the iPad Pro as a computer in landscape, but then they’re missing out on the benefits of a thin and powerful tablet, because to fold up the Logitech to make it tablet-usable, you’re having to handle a device that’s now twice and thick and heavy.

I understand the issue of price, where the Magic Keyboard is expensive, but if you use it for college or work, and get 3+ years out of it, it becomes a very reasonable investment. I was going to buy a Magic Keyboard, but I’m now holding out for the new new iPad Pro that will hopefully launch in the next 6 months, give or take. I’m guessing that there will be a V.2 version of the MK, once new iPad Pro’s launch. And if not, I’ll be happy getting the MK when I get the new iPad Pro.

 

[MrMorden]

The only thing missing with the Smart Folio Keyboard is backlit keys. and maybe a place for your pencil.

And a trackpad. And protection.

 

[hortod1]

Leaving aside the fact nobody’s really flying if they can help it in the near future, the “tray table” you refer to isn’t a standard size, and varies hugely by airline and class of travel.

well as someone who works in aviation and therefore has no choice but to travel for a living, I can safely say it will not fit on Delta, American, United, Southwest, Jet Blue, or Alaska - in any class of tray table. And “tray table” isn’t my name for it, it’s theirs. As in, “please stow your tray tables”. Nice use of quotes, tho

 

[Veinticinco]

well as someone who works in aviation and therefore has no choice but to travel for a living, I can safely say it will not fit on Delta, American, United, Southwest, Jet Blue, or Alaska - in any class of tray table.

You’d assume working in aviation, you’d be aware that there is a big wide world out there beyond the US and all the carriers you’ve listed. Pre-lockdown I flew a lot within Europe and transatlantic to US (east and west coast) with numerous airlines. Almost always in business or first. Never had the issue described.

 

[ajfahey]

I don't care for the kickstand approach. It does not work on a lap or even cushy surfaces like beds or sofas.

 

[3rdiguy]

I’d like to know what’s the reasoning behind not releasing a version for 12.9 iPad Pro.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

My argument is if that’s what’s critical to you as a user, you probably need a laptop.

My argument is that you don’t know what other people need.

Thank goodness Apple agrees, given that THEY added support for a trackpad.

 

[AudiA4]

My argument is that you don’t know what other people need.

Thank goodness Apple agrees, given that THEY added support for a trackpad.

I said “probably,” not absolutely. I’m glad Apple provides options, but as for me, I’m not going to buy a device that’s purpose built as a thin, portable slab and then saddle it with all of that crap. It defeats its ultimate purpose. The MacBook Air says hello.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

I don't care for the kickstand approach. It does not work on a lap or even cushy surfaces like beds or sofas.

That’s one of the drawbacks of using a tablet over a laptop with a built in screen stand.

These two solutions are solutions that answer two different questions depending on the user’s needs.

Apple picked a side here and went with the more laptop-like approach and made it easy to switch to tablet mode by the ease of removing the tablet from the case.

Logitech takes the PC 2-in-1 approach instead.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

I said “probably,” not absolutely. I’m glad Apple provides options, but as for me, I’m not going to buy a device that’s purpose built as a thin, portable slab and then saddle it with all of that crap. It defeats its ultimate purpose. The MacBook Air says hello.

You said no one needs a trackpad on an iPad. You’re wrong.

The MacBook Air said ‘I can’t’ to drawing, having a touchscreen, and leaving the keyboard at home, so wrong again.

It’s fine that you want to suffer through stuff others don’t want to (like using two different devices when one will do). That’s your prerogative.

Some of us wanted the iPad to be more than it is, and Apple and third party companies are finally giving us what we were looking for: an Apple 2-in-1.

With these devices, I don’t need an MBA, or any Mac at all, even if someone else might. And this is all due to the trackpad support, for me at least.

 

[pookynubber]

I LOVE that there's a more secure way to hold the pencil while charging. I can't believe there's not a market for this already. The only thing I've found was a GRB device which eventually broke off. If anyone knows of ANYTHING that can secure the pencil better whilst charging - I'm dying to find it.

 

[AudiA4]

You said no one needs a trackpad on an iPad. You’re wrong.

The MacBook Air said ‘I can’t’ to drawing, having a touchscreen, and leaving the keyboard at home, so wrong again.

It’s fine that you want to suffer through stuff others don’t want to (like using two different devices when one will do). That’s your prerogative.

Some of us wanted the iPad to be more than it is, and Apple and third party companies are finally giving us what we were looking for: an Apple 2-in-1.

With these devices, I don’t need an MBA, or any Mac at all, even if someone else might. And this is all due to the trackpad support, for me at least.

I’m happy you have the option to turn it into whatever you’d like. But for me, saddling a device with that much stuff to make it do something it wasn’t originally envisioned to do is - at some point - absurd. It would be like buying a Miata and then deciding you need to be able to tow a 4,500 pound trailer and go off-roading, and so you try and jack it up and add giant wheels and tires, etc. when you really just need to go buy a truck.

 

[derekamoss]

I don't care for the kickstand approach. It does not work on a lap or even cushy surfaces like beds or sofas.

I have been using a kickstand since the Surface RT first came out, it works on my lap and on "cushy" surfaces just fine.

 

[derekamoss]

This Logitech keyboard is simply forcing the iPad Pro to be a laptop. Both of Apple’s keyboards, the Magic and Folio, make it so easy to shift from laptop-like device to tablet form with zero prying of the device from a case. Maybe there are people who are ok with that, as they’re ONLY using the iPad Pro as a computer in landscape, but then they’re missing out on the benefits of a thin and powerful tablet, because to fold up the Logitech to make it tablet-usable, you’re having to handle a device that’s now twice and thick and heavy.

I understand the issue of price, where the Magic Keyboard is expensive, but if you use it for college or work, and get 3+ years out of it, it becomes a very reasonable investment. I was going to buy a Magic Keyboard, but I’m now holding out for the new new iPad Pro that will hopefully launch in the next 6 months, give or take. I’m guessing that there will be a V.2 version of the MK, once new iPad Pro’s launch. And if not, I’ll be happy getting the MK when I get the new iPad Pro.

The think I don't like about the iPad Magic keyboard is it sits flat on a surface. This is the reason why I love MS Surface Type Keyboard is it squinches in at the base allowing more stability and a little slant on the keyboard which feels so much better.

 

[Adam Henry]

i guess is you cant afford the apple magic keyboard this monstrosity would be the next best option if you didnt plan to use it on your lap.

 

[ericwn]

I’m happy you have the option to turn it into whatever you’d like. But for me, saddling a device with that much stuff to make it do something it wasn’t originally envisioned to do is - at some point - absurd. It would be like buying a Miata and then deciding you need to be able to tow a 4,500 pound trailer and go off-roading, and so you try and jack it up and add giant wheels and tires, etc. when you really just need to go buy a truck.

There’s a big difference in my opinion between adding monster tires and custom made accessories.

It’s just a slate and it’s up to the user to use it how they see fit. There is no wrong or right, but suggesting it wasn’t initially designed for this stuff makes no sense. The original iPad already came with a keyboard docking station, although no mouse. This is a decade later now and keyboards have prevailed and the current ones are very much specifically designed to work with the iPad (just like the first one was).

 

[ericwn]

The magic keyboard makes the iPad pro like a perfect device with the same concept as SurfaceBook.
I don't understand why people pick the logitech one.
I watched a few reviews, the kick stand doesn't seems very stable.
And a combo this thick, why not pick a MacBook.

Maybe the thickness of the device is irrelevant to these users and they want an iOS device for other benefits?

I also don’t see what concept the iPad and the surface thing have in common? A tablet with an optional keyboard, the MK has no fulcrum hinge and operates pretty different.

 

[ericwn]

I can’t see using anything else but the Magic Keyboard, even though the hash key is small. I don’t miss not having function keys. I really enjoy typing on the Magic Keyboard.

For those considering, no matter how much you baby the Magic Keyboard, it is going to show fingerprints and other signs of wear.

If it wears anywhere remotely close to the previous folio cases, it’s a no buy for me and probably many others. Keyboards that don’t offer protection should not wear much.

 

[ericwn]

I mean if I’m gonna spend $200 Cad on a keyboard id rather go with the Apple option. That being said I’m regretting the butterfly keyboard on my 15’ pro so I’m gonna be prioritizing trading in and upgrading to the 16’ with the old keyboards lol.

Good luck finding the MK for 200CAD. Pricing in Canada is ridiculous.

 

[AudiA4]

There’s a big difference in my opinion between adding monster tires and custom made accessories.

It’s just a slate and it’s up to the user to use it how they see fit. There is no wrong or right, but suggesting it wasn’t initially designed for this stuff makes no sense. The original iPad already came with a keyboard docking station, although no mouse. This is a decade later now and keyboards have prevailed and the current ones are very much specifically designed to work with the iPad (just like the first one was).

I’m not arguing against a svelte keyboard. As I stated, I love my Apple Smart Keyboard Folio. It’s SUPER thin, adds little weight, and folds all the way back so that it can be used as a touch tablet (without having to remove it), unlike any of the options being discussed in this article...which are all clunky, awkward, limiting, and heavy.

 

[Dan Yokota]

Why call this one Folio if it’s essentially the same as the Combo Touch just on a different screen size? Makes no sense what so ever

The Combo Touch has the option to detach the keyboard and use the iPad separately hence the “Combo”. This iPad Pro version is really just a folio. I wish they made the keyboard detachable like the Combo tho.

 

[AudiA4]

I feel like Apple was pressured by Microsoft surface... this is just me, but I still don’t get the idea of making the iPad into something it’s not.

you might as well get a MacBook since the price is almost the same when adding the keyboard. And Mac os is more capable.

EXACTLY what I’ve been saying. I think the elegant, thin keyboards as cover makes sense, but at some point, it get a bit absurd.

 

[bobob]

This Logitech keyboard is simply forcing the iPad Pro to be a laptop. Both of Apple’s keyboards, the Magic and Folio, make it so easy to shift from laptop-like device to tablet form with zero prying of the device from a case. Maybe there are people who are ok with that, as they’re ONLY using the iPad Pro as a computer in landscape, but then they’re missing out on the benefits of a thin and powerful tablet, because to fold up the Logitech to make it tablet-usable, you’re having to handle a device that’s now twice as thick and heavy.

None of MacRumors' multiple promotional articles on Logitech's Folio Touch manage to point out its fundamental difference from the Apple's Magic Keyboard. They are from two distinct product categories:

One is a keyboard case and the other is a keyboard dock.

This is a critical distinction that most reviewers have tended to gloss over, demonstrating that they are just not grasping this unique advantage of the design of Apple's Magic Keyboard.

This quote from the review, A New Breed of Laptop, brings out this key feature of the Magic Keyboard...

​

"The Magic Keyboard turns an iPad Pro into a laptop, but it does so in a way that isn’t definitive — the transformation can always be reversed by the simple act of pulling the “computing core” away from it. This is also where the Magic Keyboard differs from competing accessories such as the Brydge keyboard: aside from Brydge’s poor trackpad implementation, I always found their design discouraged a constant alternation of roles — from laptop to tablet, and vice versa. It could be done, but carefully putting the iPad inside the Brydge’s keyboard clips and pulling it out was a chore. As a result, I found myself leaving the iPad Pro inside the Brydge keyboard at all times and never using it as a tablet. The Magic Keyboard feels like it was designed with the opposite principle in mind: it enables a laptop mode for the iPad, but you can always undo it and return to the iPad’s pure tablet form in two seconds."​

​

...and also in this quote from the review at MacWorld...

​

"There’s a reason Apple’s videos about the Magic Keyboard always show someone grabbing the iPad with one hand and walking away with it. That’s the killer feature. That’s what separates it from every Mac laptop. It’s a laptop—until the moment you decide you don’t want it to be that anymore. And then it’s not."​

​

I believe most people aren't "getting" the Magic Keyboard because they're conflating it with portable keyboard cases for the iPad, like the Logitech Folio Touch.

If your use-case is carrying your iPad around in your backpack or briefcase, then a common keyboard case such as Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio or this Logitech are likely your best solution. But the problem with these options is that they slow you down in converting it back to just an iPad. The need to unclip it or slide it out creates enough user friction, that you end up rarely (read: never) using the iPad independently. It sounds trivial, but that is exactly why the Magic Keyboard is unique - - it allows your iPad to actually be used as an iPad (gasp!).

The Magic Keyboard doesn't make the best portable case to transport your iPad. Its strength is in its frictionless conversion from laptop mode to freeform iPad mode. That's its "killer feature" as described above.

The Magic Keyboard is the only iPad dock made and it's been designed specifically to bring out the best in your iPad Pro.

The Logitech Folio Touch is just another iPad case.

 

[Manzanito]

None of MacRumors' multiple promotional articles on Logitech's Folio Touch manage to point out its fundamental difference from the Apple's Magic Keyboard. They are from two distinct product categories:

One is a keyboard case and the other is a keyboard dock.

This is a critical distinction that most reviewers have tended to gloss over, demonstrating that they are just not grasping this unique advantage of the design of Apple's Magic Keyboard.

This quote from the review, A New Breed of Laptop, brings out this key feature of the Magic Keyboard...

​

"The Magic Keyboard turns an iPad Pro into a laptop, but it does so in a way that isn’t definitive — the transformation can always be reversed by the simple act of pulling the “computing core” away from it. This is also where the Magic Keyboard differs from competing accessories such as the Brydge keyboard: aside from Brydge’s poor trackpad implementation, I always found their design discouraged a constant alternation of roles — from laptop to tablet, and vice versa. It could be done, but carefully putting the iPad inside the Brydge’s keyboard clips and pulling it out was a chore. As a result, I found myself leaving the iPad Pro inside the Brydge keyboard at all times and never using it as a tablet. The Magic Keyboard feels like it was designed with the opposite principle in mind: it enables a laptop mode for the iPad, but you can always undo it and return to the iPad’s pure tablet form in two seconds."​

​

...and also in this quote from the review at MacWorld...

​

"There’s a reason Apple’s videos about the Magic Keyboard always show someone grabbing the iPad with one hand and walking away with it. That’s the killer feature. That’s what separates it from every Mac laptop. It’s a laptop—until the moment you decide you don’t want it to be that anymore. And then it’s not."​

​

I believe most people aren't "getting" the Magic Keyboard because they're conflating it with portable keyboard cases for the iPad, like the Logitech Folio Touch.

If your use-case is carrying your iPad around in your backpack or briefcase, then a common keyboard case such as Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio or this Logitech are likely your best solution. But the problem with these options is that they slow you down in converting it back to just an iPad. The need to unclip it or slide it out creates enough user friction, that you end up rarely (read: never) using the iPad independently. It sounds trivial, but that is exactly why the Magic Keyboard is unique - - it allows your iPad to actually be used as an iPad (gasp!).

The Magic Keyboard doesn't make the best portable case to transport your iPad. Its strength is in its frictionless conversion from laptop mode to freeform iPad mode. That's its "killer feature" as described above.

The Magic Keyboard is the only iPad dock made and it's been designed specifically to bring out the best in your iPad Pro.

The Logitech Folio Touch is just another iPad case.

I see your point, but the lack of protection and double the price don’t justify, in my humble opinion, what you describe as a killer feature. Sure, it’s easier to detach and more elegant, not worth the extra 160 bucks and lack of protection for me.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If it wears anywhere remotely close to the previous folio cases, it’s a no buy for me and probably many others. Keyboards that don’t offer protection should not wear much.

I haven’t experienced any fraying or ripping but, it does show smudges and fingerprints very easily.