I contemplated on whether or not I wanted to throw more money at Apple after buying the new iPad Pro 12.9”. I was on the boat of, “It would be really useful to have a keyboard attached to this, but would I frequently use it enough to warrant such purchase”.
Before I bought this, I was using separate Logitech Bluetooth keyboard with a folio case. This was useful because I didn’t have a keyboard attached to get in the way when I used my iPad for media consumption, but if I needed to type some stuff, I could just go grab the keyboard. Of course, the main downside to this is that I have to go grab the keyboard.
My main dilemma (other than price) in buying this was whether or not it justified replacing my MBP at my work desk (while I’m working). When I do any personal browsing or responding to personal emails, I use my MBP (I don’t do any personal tasks on my work laptop).
Pros of replacing my MBP:
> smaller footprint
> battery lasts longer with same amount of screen time
Cons:
> less screen estate (I have MBP 16”)
> no real multi-app (not referring to opening apps side by side, like on my MBP desktop I have several apps open that is spaced out to be a click away)
After using the iPad Pro with this magic keyboard, I can confidently say the cons aren’t as big as I expected. I’m working with less screen space, but it’s not like you can actively work on more than one app at a time. While you can’t have actively open (in view) apps on the iPad (or any mobile OS), it’s not like taking the extra second to 3-finger swipe up to see all open apps and switching is that big of a deal. As a matter of fact, it becomes second nature just after a couple days of use.
With all that said, let’s get to the product itself.
Overall:
The look and feel of this magic keyboard is amazing. It’s sturdy, feels nice in the hand, and stuff doesn’t like flap around like other keyboard cases do (even considering the surface lineups). I hate how when you grab the tablet to move somewhere, you either have to close the keyboard or it just hands down flapping. This magic keyboard essentially holds like a laptop. The mechanic that supports the back magnet (where iPad attaches) is stupid solid. You can grab and go to the next room like you would with any laptop. No need to close the keyboard or have it dangle as you move.
Keyboard:
Yes… this keyboard is super nice. Very comparable to the latest generation keyboard on MacBooks that replace those horrid scissor switch keys. My best feel keyboards rank as such: MacBooks, PixelBook Go, Magic Keyboard, and Samsung Galaxy Book Pro. The fact that it even ranks with other LAPTOPS is a feat itself. It’s clicky, but not too loud. Backlit keys are subtle and clean. The texture of the keys aren’t soft, fabric like, or mushy like other keyboard cases. This is the closest feeling to a laptop keyboard that you can get on a tablet keyboard case. It far surpasses the feeling of the keyboard on my MS Surface back when I had like the 2nd gen one.
How about the cons? There are few notable ones that every other reviewers have said…
> No function keys
> No ESC key
Look… it’s not like it was a mystery whether or not you’d get this on the keyboard. You know before you buy that it doesn’t have those. If I were to compare this to another keyboard, then yes it’s a con relative to what I compared it to. However, when rating the magic keyboard by itself, it’s not a con because it wasn’t there. Hopefully that makes sense. Like, I would LOVE for there to be function keys and I don’t see a reason why they didn’t add on (on the surface) based on the available space.
The only key I absolutely miss is the ESC key. ESC key I definitely frequently use, whereas I hardly ever use function keys on any of my keyboard devices (laptop or desktop). That’s just personal usage, so mileage will vary. Even though I miss it, again.. I don’t consider this a con because I knew before buying. One thing you can do is actually re-map one of the keys on the bottom left (world symbol, control, option, cod, shift, caps lock) to be an ESC key. This is easily changed in settings. I use the world key as my escape key. I think this key by default is for language switching if you use more than one language keyboard set up. I don’t type in any other language, so that functionality is useless and therefore now it’s my ESC key. It takes a bit getting used to, using my pinky to go down left corner vs top left corner.
This doesn’t make the iPad a replacement for my MBP. I’m not going to go sell my MBP because it’s been replaced on my work desk. However, everything I was doing on my MBP while working is easily doable on my iPad with this keyboard. It first started out having my iPad sit on top of my MBP (that way I can just move my iPad and flip open the MBP if there was something I couldn’t do on it) to my MBP now staying in my other room for my “music studio” set up. I air quote that because I’m an armature and I do it for fun. Before I would have to carry back and forth the MBP (including the charger), but that’s no more.
I have had SOO much doubt about the usability of this keyboard. Never would I have thought it would replace my MBP (not as a laptop replacement, just in my office) in just couple days. It’s crazy how much I love this now and have ZERO regrets. There are some shortcuts you have to learn to do things that you wouldn’t need to on a laptop, so there are some learning curve.
A couple of shortcuts that I found valuable (these are default, I haven’t look any further to see if they could be re-mapped):
> “World icon” + C -> this opens up the control center that you’d normally get from swiping down on the right side of the iPad or if you hover your mouse pointer there. This is super useful for screen brightness and volume. Especially volume, because I got annoyed having to raise my hand off the keyboard to lower the volume by using the button or using the mouse to open it. Just use this shortcut, hover the mouse on the volume slider and you can use TWO-FINGER swipe UP/DOWN to change it, no need to click and slide.
> CTRL + CMD + Q -> this puts the screen to sleep. I use this frequently when I turn play/change music and want to turn display off so it doesn’t waste battery.
The last few things I want to mention that is important, if you’ve read this far down. While I gave this magic keyboard some high praises, I still don’t think it’s worth the price tag they are charging. The value is there, but I would argue most of the price comes from Apple still trying to get a return in investment from their R&D vs what it costs to make this. I played a bit risky by purchasing this from Amazon Warehouse. The condition was “Acceptable” and it dropped the price down $100 from MSRP. I took my chances and man I got lucky. This keyboard had a few scuffs, but it was nothing like I expected based on the description of “Acceptable”. I was able to wipe it all down completely, so now this magic keyboard looks brand new. Not only that, I had a good bit of gift card balance from over time that I used. At the end of the day, I paid just over $100 for this keyboard. I don’t count the gift card balance as part of the balance I paid because they were just accumulated over time from promotions or gifts. I would 100% value this keyboard at the price I would’ve paid at “Acceptable”. $250 is a solid price for it to be MSRP. Then, if it went on sale, it would be possible to get it at $200 or so. I would not have bought this keyboard at MSRP, that’s a fact regardless how much I love this thing.
Something to keep in mind of charging the iPad through the keyboard. If you have the Apple 29W fast charger that Apple discontinued couple years ago, you will not get the best charging. I can’t recall 100%, but the 29W doesn’t have a certain piece of hardware that makes it compatible with the magic keyboard to get normal charge output. Basically, the 29W charger will only output 9W to the keyboard, whereas you get the full fast charging if you connect it directly to the iPad. Apple did release a 30W fast charger (after discontinuing the 29W) that does NOT suffer from the same issue. You still won’t get the max output as you would connecting it directly to the iPad, but the keyboard will recognize it as a higher watt charger and will charge iPad via keyboard at (I THINK) 27W. Google search “iPad Magic Keyboard 29W charger”, and it should be one of the first articles.
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Compare Apple iPad Keyboard products
| Price | From: $279.00 | From: $199.00 | From: $129.00 | From: $169.00 | From: $189.00 | From: $249.00 |
| Ratings | (5,644) | (747) | (5,983) | (4,450) | (3,077) | (15,786) |
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| Full Size Keyboard |
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| Port Type | USB-C pass through charging | USB-C pass through charging | USB-C pass through charging | |||
| Protection | Front and back cover | Front and back cover | Front cover | Front and back cover | Front and back cover | Front and back cover |
| Color | Black or White | Black | Black | Black | Black | Black or White |
| Compatible with | iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd generation) | iPad (10th generation) | iPad (9th, 8th and 7th generation), iPad 10.5-inch and iPad Air (3rd generation) | iPad Pro 11-inch - (4th, 3rd and 2ndgeneration) and iPad Air (5th and 4th generation) | iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd generation) | iPad Pro 11-inch - (4th, 3rd and 2ndgeneration) and iPad Air (5th and 4th generation) |
Reviews with images
Love it
I travel a lot for work, and use the iPad Pro as my entertainment on the plane or in the hotel, my presentation tool with clients, and for general computer tasks.But it was never quite ‘there’ for everything I needed. Sometimes I might want to do various tasks that still had me reaching for my MacBook Air or Mac Studio when I returned home. Eventually, however, I went on a minimalist spree of lightening the load for travel. So I took a punt on this ridiculously priced keyboard.While I am still in the honeymoon phase, and only on my first business trip, I am already completely converted. The keyboard itself is outstanding. Feels as good as a laptop. The lighting is smart, coming on at just the right moment when ambient light in the room would make seeing the keys a little tough.The touch pad is smaller than a laptop, but super functional, and integrated into the OS far better than I imagined it would be. So between that and the ability to touch the screen, it is an absolute winner.On the plane, and in the hotel, if I just want to watch a movie or TV show, I sometimes use a relatively cheap stand. But when I want to type something, I can just pop this onto the magnets and type away.A few years back, I had a different MacBook which developed a flaw and needed a repair. So I bought a keyboard for my iPad, and remember being very disappointed. There was lag, it was a very cheesy solution, and as soon as my Mac came back from repair, I returned the keyboard for a refund.Fast forward, and my M1 iPad Pro 12.9 flies with this keyboard. No lag, in fact it is as fast as my Air.The only real issues are the limitations of iPadOS, and various applications that either offer a cut down or no version for the iPad. However, I think for most users, it will be fine.Now, would I advocate having the iPad Pro and this keyboard instead of a laptop? No, absolutely not. But for travel, it does 95% of what I need it to very well. I find the iPad to be an extremely versatile product for business and fun. Thanks to this keyboard, I now have a travel solution that weighs considerably less than also carrying a laptop.I was originally going to go with black, but then Amazon offered me the instant gratification of next day delivery on the white one. I also heard from some reviewers that while it might be counter-intuitive, the white is easier to keep clean. The matte black is easier to get noticeable fingerprints on it.Unless something radically changes, I’m going to turn in my old MacBook Air for a trade in that I can put towards my next Apple purchase. Thanks expensive Apple keyboard!
Top reviews from the United States
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Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Sturdy great for lap use hasn’t gotten dirty so far
Reviewed in Canada on February 12, 2024Style: US EnglishColor: WhiteVerified Purchase
xBlackDroid
Excelente teclado
Reviewed in Mexico on April 26, 2023Style: US EnglishColor: BlackVerified Purchase
