Apple Magic Keyboard for the M4 iPad Pro Review

I have been using my M4 iPad Pro for a while now and have already written a review on it. I have also been using my Apple Magic Keyboard for the same amount of time, I thought about adding it to the iPad review but I wanted to give it justice with its own review post.

I use my iPad mainly for writing blog posts and scripts for my YouTube Channel so having a decent keyboard is key. With iPads becoming more and more capable people are starting to use them instead of using a PC as it’s smaller and portable. So accessories like the Magic Keyboard can really improve the user experience.

So in this post, I am going to cover some key areas as well as the Pros and Cons to help you in deciding on whether or not you want to purchase the Apple Magic Keyboard.

Pros:

• Larger Touchpad
• Function Row
• Aluminium Deck

Cons:

• Not compatible with older iPads
• Price

So let’s look at some of the key areas and features of the Apple Magic Keyboard in more detail below 🙂

Design:

The new Apple Magic Keyboard looks pretty much the same as the previous version, and why change a design that looks great already (this seems to be the Apple way),  So although it looks the same there are some key differences that we need to talk about.

Trackpad:

Not that the trackpad was bad on the previous version of the Apple Magic Keyboard but the larger touchpad is a welcome update. The larger touchpad makes it easier to use as it makes it similar to using the trackpad on a MacBook. Because it is larger I find myself using it a lot more rather than just using using my finger and the touch screen.

It also feels more like a laptop trackpad compared to the previous version which felt like plastic and the feedback was there bouncy. With this being built from aluminium it has a much nicer feel and great feedback when you are clicking it.

Having the larger trackpad makes using the Gestures on the Apple Magic Keyboard so much easier. I find that I use the swipe between previous apps the most along with the right click. I still do interact with the screen a fair bit but certainly a lot less and I find myself trying to interact with the iPad more like a laptop.

Function Row:

I have found that this has been a useful addition to the Apple Magic Keyboard. It is also for quick access to common actions that you might want to use without having to use the touchscreen or go into the control centre. I personally find that the volume control buttons come in really useful as I don’t have to move away from the keyboard to adjust the volume. Some of the other function keys that are on the Apple Magic Keyboard:

• Media Controls
• Lock Screen
• ESC key
• Display Brightness

Although I do think that these are a good addition and I do use them on occasion there are times when my muscle memory will pull me back to using the touchscreen.

Weight:

The M4 iPad Pro is the lightest iPad to date and it has been accompanied by the lightest and thinnest Apple Keyboard. I like this because it doesn’t add a massive amount of weight to your iPad so it remains super portable. As I like to sometimes head to a coffee shop to do some writing and get a change of scenario the lightweight Apple Keyboard makes my iPad Pro the perfect companion.

Compatibility & Charging

This for me is the one downside to the Apple Magic Keyboard it is not compatible with older devices. So to be able to use this you will need to upgrade to the latest M4 iPad, the reason for this is that the magnets in the new iPads have moved so older models will just not attach to the keyboard. We also have a pass through charging port built into the Magic Keyboard I personally do not use this all that much if at all, I find it can be in an awkward place depending on where I am charging my iPad.

Typing Experience:

I love the typing experience that you get with the Apple Magic Keyboard for the iPad. I use this mainly for creating my blog posts so spend a fair bit of time in each session writing and I find that it’s comfortable and I can type for long periods without my fingers or wrist feeling tired or sore.

The keys have a nice level of feedback and I have found that it feels more like typing on a Mac keyboard. I have found that other keyboards like the Logitech Combo have a rubber feel to the keys which I find is okay but is not something that I would want to type on for a long period of time.

Final Thoughts:

There is a lot to like about about the Apple Magic Keyboard for the M4 iPads. It makes the iPad feel like it is more capable of becoming a more feasible laptop replacement. It really is a joy to type on but for me, the price tag is something that I am finding hard to justify coming in at a whooping £349.00 so when you are pairing that with a new iPad with the base model costing £999 you buy a Macbook Air and have change to spare.

So again it’s going to come down to how you use your iPad. If you are looking for it to be your primary device then having a decent keyboard is going to be a must and the price may be more palatable. If you are an occasional user then it might be worth looking at cheaper alternatives out there.