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A month ago, Apple announced the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro along with updated iPad Pro models. The keyboard was initially slated to go on sale in May, but last week Apple announced that the keyboard will be available for purchase starting April 15, and that orders will arrive this week.
Since we haven’t seen this keyboard in action outside of Apple press material, it was interesting to see how it looks and works in the real world. Fortunately, professional photographer, YouTuber, and podcaster Tyler Stalman got their hands on one unit and uploaded their initial impressions and unboxing video on their channel.
At first glance, this is more or less what Apple promised. It’s a full-size iPad keyboard with a built-in trackpad that doubles as a case. The keyboard part seems to have been handled well, with a comfortable key size and good scrolling, unlike the iPad smart keyboard. The keys are also backlit, which is always welcome.
The trackpad is relatively small, but it really is the main attraction here, as it reduces the need to reach and touch the screen. It is a multi-touch surface with full gesture support and is a physically powered surface, unlike capacitive haptic panels on MacBooks.
The keyboard also has a USB-C connector on the side for charging, which frees up the USB-C port on the iPad Pro to connect accessories.
The most interesting thing about this keyboard is the tilt angle. From the looks of it, it doesn’t really lean further back than you see in the official images. This is likely to be done to ensure that the tablet doesn’t roll back when it’s on your lap, but some may encounter limitations. It’s definitely something you’ll have to try before you buy if that’s the kind of thing that bothers you.
But by far the biggest problem is the price. Priced at $ 299 / $ 349, the Magic Keyboard remains a ridiculously expensive accessory for an already expensive tablet. For advanced iPad users, and there are a few at the moment, this might be obvious, but for the rest of us, a standard keyboard case and a Bluetooth mouse might be the best option.
