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iPad Magic Keyboard | 5 Best and 5 Worst Things | Best Features of the iPad Magic Keyboard

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I finally have the new iPad Magic Keyboard for my 12.9-inch 2018 iPad Pro. After a couple of days, here are the five best and five worst things.

The five best

  1. The floating adjustable angle. When Apple announced it, the internet went crazy trying to work out how it holds the iPad’s weight. Luckily it does, and a range of angles is really nice compared with previous cases: from lying on the couch to working at a desk, you can find a decent angle.
  2. The charging port on the hinge. A fantastic addition: the port is in a respectable bottom-corner position, so you can attach a dongle while charging. Power reaches the iPad through the pogo pins on the case instantly.
  3. The keyboard. Much improved over the previous case, with larger key caps that feel great with just the right travel. The inverted-T arrow keys are back, there’s no fabric covering anymore, and it sounds pretty good.
  4. The backlight. Working in dim environments is so much better, and it deserves its own entry because so many people wanted it. The brightness is controlled by the iPad’s ambient light sensor, and you can also adjust it in Settings.
  5. The trackpad. With iPadOS 13.4, there’s mouse and trackpad support, and Apple gave us a multi-touch trackpad: three-finger swipe to home or between apps, two-finger swipe to scroll or switch home screens, and it clicks. Learning how the iPad cursor works can be challenging, but the added input is welcome and kind of fun.

The five worst

  1. The weight. If you hoped this combo would help you ditch the weight of your laptop, think again: the 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard is over 700 grams, more than the iPad itself, bringing the iPad to about the weight of a 13-inch MacBook Pro. If you’re choosing between an iPad and a MacBook for on the go, take weight out of the iPad’s pros.
  2. The balance. Because of the iPad’s weight, Apple made a floating hinge that brings the iPad toward the front to reduce tipping (otherwise the keyboard would have to be even heavier). For many uses and angles, it’s still a problem: I find myself keeping a hand on the case to keep it from tipping, and on the couch I’ve had to react quickly to save the iPad from “certain disaster.”
  3. The trackpad is tiny compared with modern laptop trackpads. Against my work Dell and a Surface Pro keyboard, they’re the same 4 inches wide, but the iPad Magic Keyboard’s is shorter: 2 inches vs. 2 1/8 on the Surface and 2 1/4 on the Dell. That little difference matters for my hands: swiping up from home or around a website, I frequently hit the edges. For larger hands, it will be a problem.
  4. The price. $349 for the 12.9-inch and $299 for the 11-inch. It’s hard to justify if you already have a Smart Keyboard Folio when you can get a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad for under $100 and get many of the same benefits, plus the ability to fold your iPad around the case for holding or Pencil use.
  5. My fingers hit the iPad when typing. The floating hinge is super cool, but because of the overhang above the keyboard, my idle fingers stretch out as I type and hit the bottom of the iPad. Maybe it won’t be a problem for you, but I found it extremely distracting and had to put effort into how I type. “I shouldn’t have to conform my typing to a keyboard when I can type just fine on any other I’ve used.”

Drop a comment if you agree or disagree with my initial impressions.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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