Last month, Apple unveiled several new products, including a refreshed iPad Air equipped with the M3 chip, priced at $599. While the iPad itself isn’t groundbreaking, it does come with a new version of the Magic Keyboard.
This updated Magic Keyboard introduces function keys to the iPad Air for the first time—a significant enhancement. However, it also presents several puzzling trade-offs. Let’s delve into the details.
Compromises of the iPad Air Magic Keyboard
To start, the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air begins at $269. This is not exactly budget-friendly for an iPad keyboard. While having a more affordable option is desirable, the $30 savings compared to the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro comes at the cost of features like a backlit keyboard, a haptic touch trackpad, and an aluminum casing.
Such compromises might seem reasonable if the price were lower, perhaps $199 or $249. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Additionally, the keyboard is only available in white, which is prone to dirt and staining.
On a positive note, the iPad Air Magic Keyboard is compatible with the iPad Air 4, as well as the M1 and M2 iPad Air models. It’s refreshing to see Apple create a new accessory with backward compatibility, something they don’t always prioritize. That said, the situation isn’t as straightforward as it appears…
The Redundancy of the New Keyboard
Interestingly, Apple has already offered a Magic Keyboard that is compatible with iPad Air models, and they continue to sell it today.
The original Magic Keyboard, designed for the 2018-2022 iPad Pro, works seamlessly with all recent iPad Air models, as noted on Apple’s compatibility page.
It seems the only reason Apple introduced the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air was to incorporate function keys.
While this is indeed a nice addition, Apple currently markets four different Magic Keyboards for iPad, all priced similarly, which seems a bit excessive:
Suggestions for Improving the Lineup
If it were my decision, I would streamline the iPad keyboard lineup to just two models: one standard version and one professional version.
The Magic Keyboard Folio priced at $249 is practically pointless. The likelihood of someone purchasing a $249 keyboard to accompany a $349 iPad is minimal. Its existence is primarily due to the different smart connector used in the iPad 10 and 11, making cross-keyboard compatibility impossible. However, Logitech has a Combo Touch for iPad 10 and 11 priced at only $159, which is nearly identical in function. Apple should consider eliminating this keyboard.
Additionally, I suggest that Apple add the larger camera bump cutout to the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Air. This adjustment would maintain compatibility with the 2018-2022 iPad Pro models, allowing Apple to phase out the older Magic Keyboard introduced in 2020. Alternatively, Apple could have opted to reduce the price of the existing model instead of launching a new one.
As for the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard, I believe it is already a solid product as it stands.
Having four different iPad keyboard models all within the same price range is quite odd, especially considering the robust offerings from third-party manufacturers like Logitech using the smart connector. This situation is reminiscent of having four different Apple Pencil versions available.
It seems that not much consideration went into this product range, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many Apple Retail staff members were unaware of the differences among the four iPad keyboards currently sold in stores. Apple certainly has room for improvement in this area.
Discover my favorite Apple accessories on Amazon:
Follow Michael on: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram
