Skip to main content

Incipio’s ClamCase keyboard cases transform your iPad into a MacBook

Following its acquisition of ClamCase last summer, Incipio has just unveiled a new range of keyboard cases designed especially for iPads at CES in Vegas. There are seven new ClamCase keyboard cases for the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad Mini 4. Crafted from aluminum, with a polycarbonate shell, each one features the patented 360-degree smart hinge with soft-touch finish, which allows users to transform their iPads into mini laptops or fold the keyboard back to find the perfect angle for viewing.

First up is the ClamCase Pro for the iPad Mini 4, which includes a full QWERTY keyboard, a rechargeable battery that lasts for months between charges, and real protection from dings and drops. It will be available in the next couple of months and will cost $130.

Recommended Videos

Coming in the summer, we have the ClamCase + for the iPad Pro ($170) and iPad Air 2 ($150) which offers a full QWERTY backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness. It supports the sleep/wake function, automatically turning on when you open the case and turning off when you close it. There’s a handy integrated slot for storing the Apple Pencil, and the case comes in gray, gold or silver.

Incipio also announced the ClamCase + Power for the iPad Air 2. It has the same 360-degree hinge and adjustable backlit QWERTY keyboard, but it also packs an extra 6,000mAh backup battery and a 2.1A USB port, so that you can use it to charge your iPhone, or another smartphone or tablet, while you’re on the go. It will cost $200 when it goes on sale this summer.

Finally, there’s the ClamCase Prompt for the iPad Air 2. It sports a small OLED display on the top of the case which pairs wirelessly with your smartphone. The idea is that notifications will come in and be silently displayed on the case, so you won’t have to check your phone during meetings. It also has the full QWERTY backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness, supports the automatic sleep/wake function, and sports that handy 360 degree hinge. It will be available for $200 this summer and comes in silver or white.

Simon Hill
Former Associate Mobile Editor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
The iPad doesn’t need AI, but Apple must fix something else
Top view of the rear shell on the 11th Gen iPad.

I just finished testing the new entry-level iPad, and so far, I am fairly impressed by the tablet. You can’t get a better value than this slate for $349. From the external hardware to the innards, there is hardly any alternative from the Android side that can deliver a superior experience.
This year, Apple delivered a couple of surprises, in addition to the expected chip upgrade. You now get twice the storage for the same ask, and the RAM has also been bumped up. In a nutshell, it’s faster, better at multi-tasking, and without any storage headaches, even if your budget is tight.
Apple, however, hasn’t fixed the software situation with iPadOS, which continues to bother with its fair share of quirks in tow. This year, however, the software gulf is even wider between the baseline iPad and every other tablet in Apple’s portfolio. Stage Manager has been the big differentiator so far, but in 2025, we have another deep chasm.

A good riddance with AI

Read more
Is the base iPad too popular to get Apple Intelligence?
iPad (2025) colors.

In an age where Apple is all about its AI powered Apple Intelligence, it seems odd that it hasn't crammed it into the base model iPad (2025). Why that is may have now become clearer.

On the surface there's the obvious hardware issue of the base iPad simply not packing enough punch to keep up with the AI. But Apple would have known this in advance, so it presumably chose to leave this model of iPad a little behind in terms of AI upgrades.

Read more
Forget the base iPad, the iPad Mini is my go-to tablet recommendation right now
Prakhar holding the iPad Mini 7.

I bought the 11-inch iPad Air 4 soon after its launch in 2020. But the excitement wore off after a few days. I kept it in the drawer and only used it for testing new iPadOS developer builds for the next three years. I couldn’t find a use case for a tablet in general—that is until I shifted to the 7th-generation iPad Mini.

Six months after launch, the new iPad Mini remains my travel companion for browsing and on-the-go entertainment. It’s the best iPad for me.
A complete iPad experience without any accessories

Read more