It all adds up - and with this iPad, it's a bit too much for me.The situation gets trickier if you’re considering using the 2018 Smart Keyboard Folio with the 2020 or 2021 iPad Pro since the cutout for the camera in the 2018 model is too small for the square array found on the 2020 iPad Pro. A couple of bucks for a headphone dongle here, a couple of bucks for a Lightning to USB-C adapter there. It's just a little bit too nickel-and-dime from a company that's gradually becoming infamous for nickeling-and-diming its customers. The average price for an iPad is $463, more than the base model iPad sells for. The $329 base model is also marketed as a tool for education users, so why not make a cheaper, more affordable keyboard to go alongside? The cynic in me knows that it's because Apple need to keep the average selling price of its hardware high. I can't get over how Apple can charge almost half as much again to make sure that the iPad becomes a useful tool. The kick of being able to flip one out and get working almost instantly is a great perk. It's also as flexible as Apple's other iPad cases, and it's always on, with no fretting over battery life or connectivity. The keys are covered by the rubberized surface, meaning there's little to no risk of debris gumming up the mechanism. ![]() The keyboard folio is also the only place where Apple's blighted butterfly switches make sense. I'm still resentful that Apple knows that keyboards make iPads genuinely useful, but won't sell them bundled as one unit. But Logitech's alternative isn't as elegant. Logitech makes a case that's well-regarded by plenty, including our friends over at The Wirecutter. Maybe you don't get why I'm so attached to Apple's own keyboard over a cheaper, third-party option - a lot of my colleagues don't. I don't need the bells and whistles that come from the more premium models, but I do want that form factor to be my most portable work machine.Īnd that's where the cost issue comes in, because Apple is still expecting laptop money for a machine that's not quite there. That's why the new $329 base model, with its older A10 chip and Lightning port would make sense for me. I'm not going to spend a grand on an iPad Pro and keyboard, because I don't need it to replace my laptop, just supplement it. It has one great perk, too: It's a perfect distraction-free writing machine. It now has a desktop-class browser and supports Bluetooth mice, so it's something I could see myself using instead of a laptop. I need to get in, write a document, edit some photos, and get it all published to our ancient CMS for the world to read.įor this specific use case, it worked well, and iPadOS has fixed most of the issues I griped about in that original piece. Nothing I do here at Engadget requires a lot of brute force computing power, but it does demand versatility. Apple wants to charge you $159 for a $329 tablet's keyboard.Ī couple of years ago, I borrowed a first-generation iPad Pro, with their smart keyboard folios and pencils, to see if they could replace a laptop. For me, that one accessory is transformative, turning a tablet into a pure writing machine, and if it was affordable, all the better. ![]() I've been fixated with buying a new iPad precisely because of the smart keyboard folio, but it's been a little pricey. When Apple announced a new base model iPad with a larger screen and a smart connector, I was hooked.
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