Apple's Magic Keyboard For iPad Pro Is Up For Pre-Order Now
Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is up for preorder, the company has confirmed, with the new keyboard case accessory set to begin shipping from next week. Announced alongside the 2020 iPad Pro refresh in March, the new 'board borrows the keys from Apple's latest laptops, rather than the soft & squishy buttons of the other iPad Pro keyboard covers.
That's likely to be of interest to typists, while the trackpad integrated into the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will work with the new cursor functionality in iPadOS 13.4. That should help bring the iPad Pro even closer to working as a laptop replacement for many users.
Unlike Apple's previous cases, the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is also designed to elevate the tablet off the work surface. A cantilevered arm holds it up, and supports viewing angles of up to 130-degrees. There's also a USB-C pass-through port, which can be used to charge up the iPad Pro while leaving the tablet's own USB-C port available for accessories or other peripherals.
It's the keys which are probably going to be the biggest draw, however. Apple is using the same sort of updated scissor mechanism that it has in the latest MacBook Air and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Combined with 1mm of travel and backlighting, that promises a much more laptop-like experience for typists.
Obviously it'll work with the 2020 iPad Pro models, and Apple will have versions sized for both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions of its latest tablets. However, if you're an existing iPad Pro owner, you're not out of luck. The Magic Keyboard is also compatible with iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation) and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), if you'd rather not upgrade quite yet.
Preorders of the new accessory are open from today, and it's priced at $299 for the 11-inch Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, and $349 for the 12.9-inch model. There'll be versions with key layouts for over 30 languages, including US and UK English, simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
Shipping will begin in time to get the new keyboard case to buyers next week, Apple says. It'll also be available through select carriers.