I got a very exciting delivery from Apple the other day: the new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro.
Not having the iPad Pro that attaches to (I opted for the nano-textured model which won’t ship till June), I did what any hardware nerd would do—I grabbed the previous-gen Magic Keyboard from my current iPad Pro and did a side-by-side comparison
I found a lot more differences than I’d expected!
Less Tablet, More Laptop
The first, most obvious, difference between the two models is the finish. The new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro (M4 chip) is built with an aluminum palm rest. The previous-gen Magic Keyboard’s palm rest is soft matte neoprene like the cover. It’s perfectly serviceable but in no way screams that it’s a premium accessory.
The new model instantly looks like it deserves its premium price tag and it feels much more premium under your hands.
Better Use of Real Estate
The 13-inch Magic Keyboard technically has more space to work with, barely, over the 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard. However, Apple used the redesign opportunity to add a larger trackpad, shifting the keyboard (now with a row of function keys) a bit more towards the hinge.
The result is a palm rest that’s vastly improved over the previous generation. While typing on the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is never going to be as comfortable as a full-sized desktop keyboard, it does a much better job of replicating the experience of typing on a MacBook Pro. You can rest your hands more naturally without scrunching your fingers.
Mostly Unchanged Keyboard
The 13-inch Magic Keyboard uses the same scissor switches that Apple uses across its product lines (my kingdom for mechanical low-profile switches, Apple—you of all manufacturers could make it happen). They’re perfectly functional if not a little mushy to type on.
But while typing action is essentially the same for both cases, the new row of function keys is brand new. You get all kinds of handy things like brightness, volume, and media control, just like you do on any other Apple computing device. It’s a nice bit of synergy and a welcome bit of practicality.
Viewing Angles and Hinges and Magnets (oh my)
I was surprised to see that the new Magic Keyboard defaults to a more aggressive viewing angle than the previous-gen. Granted, the mid-cover hinge will let you adjust the angle however you like, but there’s definitely a “natural” angle that the cover opens to. I’ll have to get a new iPad Pro in hand to see how this actually plays out, though, if it really is an improvement.
Why not just pop my last-gen iPad Pro on there to try it out? The redesigned iPad Pro no longer has the magnets in the same spot, so the magnets in the cover have changed as well. You can slap the old iPad Pro on the new case, but it sits at a decidedly rakish angle, not really great for evaluating anything.
One last thing that surprised me was the new, rectangular hinge. It’s exposed aluminum (the previous gen is covered by the neoprene cover) and gives additional laptop vibes. It’s also more grabbable than the previous gen.
Should You Buy? Is It Better?
I’ll admit, previous generations of the Magic Keyboard (and Keyboard Folio, may it rest in peace) underwhelmed me. For their premium prices, they didn’t offer any more (and sometimes less) than third-party accessories.
The new Magic Keyboard feels decidedly like a premium Apple accessory. The materials are impeccable, the design is smart and functional, and (I’m assuming, given that I don’t have an iPad Pro to test it with) it will just work without any additional futzing required.
If you’re looking for the best portable keyboard case for your new iPad Pro, Apple has finally delivered a true winner that’s worth its $299-$349 price tag. Pick one up or find out if it’s in stock near you on the Apple website.
