Public holiday WFH mode. 2020 12.9 iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard. Loving how the scissor keys and trackpad feel, and the Magic way it makes my iPad Pro float.
Some thoughts after using it for a while: If you plan to do a lot of typing on the iPad Pro, this keyboard is game-changing. It is a major step towards making the iPad Pro into the laptop replacement, that began with the implementation of iPadOS.
It is light years nicer than the Smart Keyboard Folio in terms of feel. The scissor keys are as good as a new MacBook Pro’s. Trackpad works very well too, though a little smaller than than traditional MacBook Pro one. The way Apple has made the "cursor" work on the iPad is brilliant, like a little finger instead of an arrow. And after a while, you will be "mousing" around as if you are using a laptop. There is a magnetic effect too, so your trackpad dot will snap to the app icons when it is near.
You need to learn the shortcuts to fully realize the potential, like three fingers swiping up to open the app launcher, or three fingers swiping left and right to switch between apps, or "the pinch" to zoom in and out. But once you master the trackpad shortcuts, and the keyboard ones, you may not need to lift a finger to touch the screen much anymore.
My only gripes: the weight (it is a little heavy), and the angle (I wish it tilted juuuuust a little more backwards haha!).
The 12.9 iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard weighs about 1,340 grams while the 2020 Macbook Air weighs about 1,268 grams. Yes, I weighed them both on the scales I use to weigh my coffee beans.
So the Magic Keyboard combo is slightly heavier. But then you can't use an Apple Pencil on the MacBook Air or any MacBook for that matter. For people who are iPad-focused, this small weight difference will not be an issue.
You can use a previous Gen iPad Pro with this Magic Keybaord too (I tested it on an 2018 iPad Pro) and it works fine. So no worries there. You don't need to buy the new iPad Pro just to use this Magic Keyboard. Though the LIDAR and the extra camera is nice to have.
I understand why the tilt angle can't go back further, as the iPad Pro is fairly heavy by itself. For now, the angle is usable.
Charging via the additional USB-C port on the Magic Keyboard works well, and frees up your main USB-C port for other accessories and peripherals. If you use an 18W Apple charger, you won't see much difference in charging speeds. If you use something with more juice, like a 30W charger, then the main USB-C port is faster, but not by a lot. The Magic Keyboard USB-C port tops out at 22W of juice, while the main USB-C port can do up to 26W. So, charge with the main USB-C port with a big fat charger if you want the maximum charging speeds.
Note that you cannot use the USB-C port of the Magic Keyboard for anything other than charging. It does not support data transfers or accessories.
You can't flip the keyboard around to use the screen only, unlike the Smart Keyboard Folio. I suppose if you want to use the iPad as a tablet, you are supposed to take the entire thing off the Magic Keyboard. I am ok with that too.
The floating is amazing. And the Magic Keyboard is nice and rigid. It is a pricey accessory, for sure. But there is nothing like this out there for the iPad Pro for now, and it works great. iPad Pro users, rejoice!
Note to self: Perusing Instagram in landscape mode is bad for one’s neck.
