Apple now has two pricey iPad keyboards designed for different models — the Magic Keyboard and Magic Keyboard Folio — but which one is best? The company has been making iPad keyboards for years, to varying levels of success. It started with hard plastic and aluminum keyboard docks designed for early iPads and later evolved to Smart Keyboard Folio cases. Eventually, Apple designed a Magic Keyboard to better match the tablet’s newfound functionality.
The original Magic Keyboard was certainly a better fit for the iPad Air and Pro than the Smart Keyboard Folio. It provided a nearly full-sized keyboard with similar key travel to Apple’s laptop and desktop keyboards, and a small-but-functional trackpad. iPads attached to the Magic Keyboard magnetically and connected through the Smart Connector, hovering over the keyboard via a creative two-hinge design. As the iPad Air and Pro gained more desktop features like Stage Manager, an accessory like the Magic Keyboard made a lot more sense.
The Magic Keyboard is compatible with certain models of the iPad Air and iPad Pro, and is priced starting at $299. Following the release of the 10-generation iPad, there is a new Apple keyboard for iPad, the Magic Keyboard Folio. Priced at $249, it packs a kickstand, a detachable keyboard, and a trackpad. The Magic Keyboard Folio even has a function key row, which is something the ‘pro’ Magic Keyboard doesn’t have. All of these factors make the Magic Keyboard Folio more versatile and more useful for productivity on-the-go.
Magic Keyboard Folio Is Better
The Magic Keyboard has other flaws that hold the device back. First, it is top-heavy, which makes it hard to use on a lap — or anywhere that’s not a desk. Laptops are functional on a lap because nearly all the components are contained in the bottom case. The top of the laptop is just a display and camera, for the most part, making it light. With the Magic Keyboard for iPad, the heavy part of the device is magnetically attached to the top of the keyboard, which creates a wobbly and top-heavy experience. While the Magic Keyboard Folio isn’t designed to be used on a lap either, it offers far more stability thanks to its kickstand.
Though the Magic Keyboard Folio is limited to just the 10th-generation iPad, its introduction has larger implications for the accessory lineup. The Magic Keyboard Folio is better than the Magic Keyboard in a lot of ways, and the 10th-gen iPad it is compatible with is cheaper than higher-end iPads. For buyers looking to purchase a new and inexpensive iPad, the 10th-gen iPad paired with the Magic Keyboard Folio looks to be a great option. More importantly, for buyers looking to get a keyboard for their iPad Air or Pro, it might be worth waiting to see whether Apple brings the Magic Keyboard Folio to more models. The Magic Keyboard Folio is clearly a successful follow-up to the original Magic Keyboard, and looks to be the best iPad keyboard released to date.
