New iPad Pro ad spot shows off Magic Keyboard

AppleInsider · April 20, 2020 7:54PM

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is starting to arrive in users' hands on Monday, and Apple has released a new ad spot to show it off.

In "Float" a hummingbird examines the latest iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard

The latest iPad Pro created a lot of buzz, not about its own hardware specs or even LiDAR camera, but the Magic Keyboard that was announced alongside it. The latest iPad Pro accessory uses cantilever hinges to make the iPad Pro float above the keyboard and trackpad.

Apple released an ad spot aptly named "Float" to show us just that.

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The video features a hummingbird examining the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard as it opens and closes, showing off its camera system and backlit keyboard. This whimsical ad shows the versatility the new Magic Keyboard can offer in the usual Apple way.

The iPad Pro attaches to the Magic Keyboard via its built in magnets and Smart connector, and is powered by the iPad. The hinge has a dedicated charging port to keep from dangling a cable from the side of the iPad when you want to keep it charged. The Magic Keyboard works with both the 2018 and 2020 models of iPad Pro.

The Magic Keyboard was made available for purchase alongside the iPhone SE, and costs $299 for the 11-inch version. The 12.9-inch version retails for $349. Adorama, Amazon and B&H Photo.

warrenbuffduckh · April 20, 2020 8:07PM

Apple better concentrate on AirTile, AirPower, AppleHeadphone, AirPodsPro Lite, AppleGlasses, AppleCar, iTV, MacBook 14”, iMac, HomePod 2020, recent mehpgrades Mac Mini, iPad Mini 5, iPad Pro 2020, remaining bezel designs and leave keyboards & peripheral stuff to HP, Lenovo and the likes

hmlongco · April 20, 2020 8:32PM

WarrenBuffduckh said:

Apple better concentrate on AirTile, AirPower, AppleHeadphone, AirPodsPro Lite, AppleGlasses, AppleCar, iTV, MacBook 14”, iMac, HomePod 2020, recent mehpgrades Mac Mini, iPad Mini 5, iPad Pro 2020, remaining bezel designs and leave keyboards & peripheral stuff to HP, Lenovo and the likes

Or not. Can't wait for mine to show up.

It's really what the "Pro" should have had in the beginning.

macapfel · April 20, 2020 9:01PM

The current iPad Pro model might have in fact only be a vehicle for the actual new thing: this magic keyboard.

jwsc · April 20, 2020 11:46PM

Definitely moving in the right direction. It just took a decade of actual experience and use to understand where the product needs to be.

netrox · April 21, 2020 3:03AM

how does the Magic Keyboard manage to make it adjustable with that thin fold???

entropys · April 21, 2020 3:13AM

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how it works Netrox.

it is a engineering thing of beauty. Just too expensive for what it is.

strangedays · April 21, 2020 4:45AM

WarrenBuffduckh said:

Apple better concentrate on AirTile, AirPower, AppleHeadphone, AirPodsPro Lite, AppleGlasses, AppleCar, iTV, MacBook 14”, iMac, HomePod 2020, recent mehpgrades Mac Mini, iPad Mini 5, iPad Pro 2020, remaining bezel designs and leave keyboards & peripheral stuff to HP, Lenovo and the likes

Yeah no. Gruber, a keyboard aficionado, loves the new MK:

As per my usual habit when reviewing iPads and iPad peripherals, I wrote this entire review using the Magic Keyboard. In the past, this has felt like a chore. The lack of trackpad support for precision editing felt like trying to write with a pen while wearing mittens. Now it’s an outright pleasure — a combination I might choose for long-form writing simply because it’s great.

https://daringfireball.net/2020/04/the_ipad_magic_keyboard

edited April 2020

strangedays · April 21, 2020 4:50AM

entropys said:

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how it works Netrox.

it is a engineering thing of beauty. Just too expensive for what it is.

Nope, not at all. It’s not a cover, it’s a keyboard-trackpad-stand. Gruber said there is nothing like it in quality:

At $350 for the 12.9-inch model and $300 for the 11-inch, the iPad Magic Keyboard is not cheap, but it feels like a premium product. I find it unlikely we’ll find a peripheral with comparable quality at a lower price.

https://daringfireball.net/2020/04/the_ipad_magic_keyboard

His summary and review sings high praises for use, feel, etc. He just sold me on the 11” with MK. It’s lighter than a 13” MBA when you want it as laptop, and of course excels as iPad when you don’t. The versatility is worth 300 bucks for me to pack one thing when traveling.

edited April 2020

jdb8167 · April 21, 2020 5:19AM

StrangeDays said:

entropys said:

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how it works Netrox.

it is a engineering thing of beauty. Just too expensive for what it is.

Nope, not at all. It’s not a cover, it’s a keyboard-trackpad-stand. Gruber said there is nothing like it in quality:

At $350 for the 12.9-inch model and $300 for the 11-inch, the iPad Magic Keyboard is not cheap, but it feels like a premium product. I find it unlikely we’ll find a peripheral with comparable quality at a lower price.
https://daringfireball.net/2020/04/the_ipad_magic_keyboard

His summary and review sings high praises for use, feel, etc. He just sold me on the 11” with MK. It’s lighter than a 13” MBA when you want it as laptop, and of course excels as iPad when you don’t. The versatility is worth 300 bucks for me to pack one thing when traveling.

Mine for the 11” iPad Pro is coming at the end of the week or early next week. Even though it doesn’t look like I will be traveling in the near future I’m very interested in how well the Magic Keyboard works. I’ve been using the Smart Keyboard Folio with a Magic Trackpad and it works extremely well but isn’t portable. The Magic Keyboard is expensive but if it works as well as Gruber reports, it will be worth it.

bestkeptsecret · April 21, 2020 5:27AM

I saw the Verge's review of this. I'm not sure what exactly the reviewer was looking for. Every positive was followed by "but...".

The only negative thing mentioned by him, which I felt had some value was the fact that the angle at which the iPad can be tilted to is a little limited.

The guy mentions that it has a very limited use, a single purpose, for which I was like "no shit, Sherlock!".

It's an amazing piece of hardware. The value is purely subjective.

mplsp · April 21, 2020 3:23PM

StrangeDays said:

entropys said:

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how it works Netrox.

it is a engineering thing of beauty. Just too expensive for what it is.

Nope, not at all. It’s not a cover, it’s a keyboard-trackpad-stand. Gruber said there is nothing like it in quality:

At $350 for the 12.9-inch model and $300 for the 11-inch, the iPad Magic Keyboard is not cheap, but it feels like a premium product. I find it unlikely we’ll find a peripheral with comparable quality at a lower price.
https://daringfireball.net/2020/04/the_ipad_magic_keyboard

His summary and review sings high praises for use, feel, etc. He just sold me on the 11” with MK. It’s lighter than a 13” MBA when you want it as laptop, and of course excels as iPad when you don’t. The versatility is worth 300 bucks for me to pack one thing when traveling.

That's a good review. As expected, it's a good quality keyboard/stand that is expensive.

One thing I noted from Gruber's review - with the Logitech keyboard that I have (and I think the new one as well) you can simply snap off the keyboard, leaving you with a convenient kickstand case. With the Apple magic keyboard stand all you get is a bare iPad. (He differentiates Apple's as a stand as opposed to a case) Whether that matters to you depends on how you use it, but I've found it useful on several occasions to be able to snap off the keyboard. The Logitech case also has a loop for the Apple Pencil and will hold it more securely in your bag.

strangedays · April 21, 2020 3:56PM

MplsP said:

StrangeDays said:

entropys said:

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how it works Netrox.

it is a engineering thing of beauty. Just too expensive for what it is.

Nope, not at all. It’s not a cover, it’s a keyboard-trackpad-stand. Gruber said there is nothing like it in quality:

At $350 for the 12.9-inch model and $300 for the 11-inch, the iPad Magic Keyboard is not cheap, but it feels like a premium product. I find it unlikely we’ll find a peripheral with comparable quality at a lower price.
https://daringfireball.net/2020/04/the_ipad_magic_keyboard

His summary and review sings high praises for use, feel, etc. He just sold me on the 11” with MK. It’s lighter than a 13” MBA when you want it as laptop, and of course excels as iPad when you don’t. The versatility is worth 300 bucks for me to pack one thing when traveling.

That's a good review. As expected, it's a good quality keyboard/stand that is expensive.

One thing I noted from Gruber's review - with the Logitech keyboard that I have (and I think the new one as well) you can simply snap off the keyboard, leaving you with a convenient kickstand case. With the Apple magic keyboard stand all you get is a bare iPad. (He differentiates Apple's as a stand as opposed to a case) Whether that matters to you depends on how you use it, but I've found it useful on several occasions to be able to snap off the keyboard. The Logitech case also has a loop for the Apple Pencil and will hold it more securely in your bag.

Yeah I think the MK will likely be too heavy to keep on all the time, on the couch or in bed, etc. It seems to be designed for transport to a place to do some computing. Close it and toss into your bag on your way to the coffee shop or wherever. I do some regular traveling (pre-pandemic) and set up a makeshift workspace on a kitchen table, this is where I imagine it would be useful. I can bring one device to serve as laptop for those tasks, and still serve as ipad after hours.

tht · April 21, 2020 3:58PM

macapfel said:

The current iPad Pro model might have in fact only be a vehicle for the actual new thing: this magic keyboard.

Yeah, I'll be interesting in what the take up rate for iPad keyboards are, ie, how many iPad owners have an external keyboard. I've heard rumor that the take up rate for Surface Pro owners is over 100%. Ie, MS sells more Surface Pro keyboards than they sell Surface Pro tablets.

Likely a lot less for iPad as a huge fraction of iPads are in non office automation environments, but as an accessory sale for Apple, very high margins that they must love.

vermelho · April 21, 2020 8:02PM

Love it. Can I afford it for my needs? no. My 1st gen iPad pro 10.5 (with apple back and keyboard cover) will have to hold me for a while, and as much as I love this, it won't replace my power laptop needs - editing long form video on the fly, managing a library of raw DSLR photos, stashing lots of data for use sans internet.... Running a fast multifunction hub, with fast mini SSD storage could tempt me in a year or so.

strangedays · April 22, 2020 1:04AM

another good video review:

https://youtu.be/eNWG9KRAbCc

New iPad Pro ad spot shows off Magic Keyboard

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