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Josh Centers 7 comments

Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro Arrives Early

When Apple announced its new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro with a built-in trackpad, the company said it would ship in May (see “Hell Freezes Over: Apple’s New iPad Pro Supports Trackpads,” 18 March 2020). Surprise! You can order it now, and it will start shipping 24 April 2020.

The order page for the Magic Keyboard

There are two models of the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, one for the first- and second-generation 11-inch iPad Pro, and the other for the third- and fourth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It costs a whopping $299 for the 11-inch version and $349 for the 12.9-inch version, but includes a built-in trackpad, taking advantage of the new pointing device support in iPadOS 13.4 (see “The iPad Gets Full Trackpad and Mouse Support,” 28 March 2020).

We’ll be interested to hear how people like the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, and we expect to see alternatives. For instance, Jason Snell reviewed a competing product, the Brydge Pro+, and found it lacking. For those who lack the necessary iPad Pro model, be on the lookout for Logitech’s upcoming $149.99 Combo Touch case, which will work with the seventh-generation iPad, the third-generation iPad Air, and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

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Comments About Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro Arrives Early

Notable Replies

  1. Ah, the paradox of choice…

  2. Indeed.

    I still find the idea of using an iPad of any type for many jobs is trying to recreate the wheel, but without decent spokes.

  3. I can’t find the weight of the magic keyboard for the iPad Pro anywhere. Does anybody know its weight, and also the weight of the smart keyboard case for the 12.9" iPad Pro (new and 3rd generation) for comparison?

  4. I saw in this MacRumors article that the Magic Keyboard for 12.9 inch iPad Pro is 710g and the iPad itself is 641g, making the combined weight greater than the MacBook Air and close to the weight of the 13-inch MacBook Pro (the total travel weights would be different once you factor in the power adapters). The Magic Keyboard for the 11 inch iPad Pro is 601g (that iPad is 471g).

    This 9to5Mac article says the 12.9-inch Smart Keyboard Folio weighs 407g and the 11-inch is 297g.

  5. Thanks. Very useful to know. I just inherited a 12.9 inch iPad Pro (2018, 3rd gen) from an elderly friend who passed away. It came with the Smart Keyboard Folio. That’s probably enough.

  6. John Gruber got one for review, and after a brief moment of not understanding it, he loves it.

  7. Thanks for that link, Adam. Interesting review.

    When you charge the iPad through the smart connector (by plugging your charging cable into the Magic Keyboard), it charges slowly: about 0.4 percent per minute, 25 percent per hour. If you want to charge your iPad quickly, plug the cable into the iPad. Charging inductively is the iPad equivalent of using a “wireless” Qi charger with an iPhone — convenient but slow.

    Does that mean the Smart Connector is only for signaling, and power to the iPad Pro always (apart from using its USB-C port) comes through the back case via induction? I just realized I had always just assumed the Smart Connector included power delivery.

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