Skip to main content

Apple’s transformative Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro arrives early

The accessory that is poised to change the way you use your brand new iPad is almost here. Apple has confirmed the new Magic Keyboard is now available to pre-order, and will start being shipped April 23. It was initially announced when the iPad Pro 2020 series was revealed earlier this year, and wasn’t expected until May, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see an early release.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Why will it transform your tablet experience? The main reason is it has a trackpad below the keyboard that takes advantage of the support baked into the latest iPadOS 13.4 software. It’s not a replacement for using the touchscreen, which is still the main way you’ll interact with the tablet, and its designed as a complementary control method instead. The trackpad provides more precise control over a cursor on the screen than with your finger, for example.

It has multi-touch support too, and these gestures let you skim through open apps and the rest of the operating system without your hand leaving the keyboard. Because it’s natively supported, all the standard Apple apps will work with the trackpad, and Apple has previously said many other apps will also work without an update needed from their respective developers. Greater support can also be added to third-party apps. The keyboard itself is backlit and each key has 1mm of travel.

Apple’s design is really interesting too, as the tablet appears to float over the keyboard. It’s mounted on a cantilevered assembly that can be adjusted through 130 degrees of movement to find the best viewing angle. There’s a USB Type-C pass-through port on the side of the keyboard that supports certain external drives and accessories. The Apple Pencil still magnetically connects to the body of the iPad Pro to charge up.

The Magic Keyboard and its trackpad have the potential to turn the iPad Pro 2020 into a true workhorse that could potentially tempt people away from the new MacBook Air. However, it’s not a cheap accessory. Over and above the already expensive iPad Pro, you will need to spend $300 for the 11-inch keyboard, or $350 for the 12.9-inch version.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Apple may announce new iPads next month. Here’s everything we expect
The yellow iPad (2022) lying face-down on a green bush.

When it comes to Apple, we expect a new product refresh annually at this point, including for the iPad. However, that didn't happen in 2023. In fact, 2023 was the first year that Apple didn't release a new iPad model at all, which means we haven’t had new iPad releases since 2022.

It’s unclear why we didn’t see any new iPads last year. However, that should also be an indicator that we can expect some big changes for the next generation of iPad models, which are rumored to come out this year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has even said that we could see new iPads as early as March.

Read more
Why I ditched my iPhone 15 Pro for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro in hand.

This is not another “lifelong iPhone user tries Android” story. I use and review all kinds of phones, and I prefer the flexibility of Android. That said, I’ve been on the iPhone 15 Pro since its launch — for two reasons. First, I had been getting the iPhone 14 Pro Max-level battery life on it. Second, I like the stability of social media apps like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). But the experience has been downgrading for a while now.

Samsung's "AI phone," the Galaxy S24 Ultra, tackles these two issues and gives me some extra features that I didn’t think would be important for me. It’s been a surprisingly fun experience. Here’s why I shifted to the Galaxy S24 Ultra from the iPhone 15 Pro and decided to stay on it. And no, it has nothing to do with AI.
Updates have ruined the iPhone 15 Pro

Read more
I tried the Apple Vision Pro. Here’s why it won’t replace my iPhone
Christine wearing the Apple Vision Pro demo unit.

The Apple Vision Pro is one of Apple’s most fascinating new product launches. It’s the first new product line from Apple since the Apple Watch, but the hype around it has been more like when Apple first introduced the original iPhone. Of course, Apple was not the first to the market with a VR/AR headset, but it is definitely what would be considered the most “mainstream” option out there, considering the brand name.

When Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro on June 5, 2023, during its WWDC 2023 keynote, I was excited. After years of rumors, it was finally happening. Preorders started on January 19, 2024, and the  Apple Vision Pro launched on February 2, 2024, in the U.S. The problem? It costs at least $3,500, making it a hard sell for many as a first-generation Apple product.

Read more