Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro: Why I returned Mine, and Why You Might Want to Keep Yours

I received my Magic keyboard for iPad Thursday and returned it Tuesday. Don’t let that fact put you off from buying one of your own. I can understand the love for this product and largely share it. But there are a few factors that left me to conclude that it wasn’t right for me. First, the good stuff:

A Triumph of Keyboard and Trackpad

I love keyboards. As a maker of words, this should come as no surprise. I am also a desktop trackpad user. The Magic keyboard for iPad was an instabuy for me. Apple outdid themselves with the quality of the keyboard and trackpad elements of this device.

If you have been looking for the one fan of the butterfly keyboard, you found him. I hate they are so unreliable. But I love using them. I have the current 13” MacBook Pro and loving it. When I have some serious writing to do, that is what I use. That said, the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro might be my favorite keyboard of all time. It is certainly in the top two.

The trackpad is also outstanding. Though a bit small, I would rather use the trackpad on the Magic Keyboard than any full-sized trackpad on a Windows PC. It feels good to the touch and is as responsive as the trackpads on the Mac. There are a few things for Apple to work on for the second generation. But the keyboard and trackpad quality are not among them.

What’s Up, Dock?

One of my favorite aspects of the Magic Keyboard is the fact that it becomes a charging dock for the iPad. It changes the way one uses the iPad. First, it becomes a computing station that you can keep on a table besides your desk. It is ready when you are and always charged. When you are ready to use it as a tablet, just grab and go.

I have the 11” iPad Pro. Using it without a case, just as a naked robotic core is a revelation. That particular iPad is at its best when unencumbered. The only thing you can add that doesn’t take away from the iPad is the Apple Pencil. I’m kind of glad you can’t use the iPad in tablet mode while in the case. That would make it a worse tablet. And at its heart, the iPad is a tablet. It is best experienced without case or cover.

The 11” Conundrum

During my time with the Magic Keyboard, I noted a handful of issues that I suspect might not exist on the 12.9” model. This should not come as a surprise once you consider the following bit of information: There are not now, nor have there ever been any great 11” laptops. The 11” iPad Pro will not be the first regardless of what you attach it to.

The ergonomics get even worse when you consider Apple isn’t trying to turn the iPad into a laptop. They are turning it into something else. A full laptop solution would have resulted in different and possibly fewer compromises. Instead, we get something like a 2 in 1 hybrid. Dare I say, toaster-fridge?

All of the compromises are exsentuated with the 11” model. The most obvious is the size of the keyboard. It is the best small keyboard on the market. But that does not change the fact that it is a small keyboard. The viewing angle is insufficient. And if you want to keep from knocking the bottom of the iPad with your fingers as you type, you will have to reduce the angle even more.

That cantilevered, floating design might be much better for the larger iPad. But on the smaller iPad, you really feel the compromise. At full tilt, it floats only about a thumb’s width above the keyboard. That means the number row of keys are somewhat compromised. With this design, a function row will never be possible. The lack of that function row is never more apparent than when you want to adjust the keyboard’s excellent backlighting. To do that, you have to go about four menus deep before you get to an on-screen slider.

While on a table, the iPad kit is unflinchingly stable. Put it in your lap and it is noticeably top-heavy. It probably won’t fall over. But it feels like it could if you aren’t attentive. A good laptop never feels that way. One of the reasons the balance is worse for the smaller iPad is that the base is just too small for adult laps. There is too little surface to be stable on your legs. This is simply not a problem for the larger iPad.

I could probably go on in this way for a while. But I think you get the point. There are compromises with the smaller model that simply do not pertain to the larger one. When you read reviews for the Magic Keyboard, be sure to note which size is being reviewed. That little detail can make all the difference.

I Already Have a Laptop

Believe it or not, none of those are why I returned the Magic Keyboard. I could have probably convinced myself to overlook the issues and soldier on but for one unavoidable fact. I already have a laptop. I love the laptop I have. And I simply do not need another. I don’t need a laptop alternative or a laptop replacement or a laptop rethink of any kind.

If I did need such a device, I would have gotten a 12.9” iPad. That size makes more sense of the accessory. If you don’t have a laptop and want your iPad to play that role, get the big one. You choose the 11” because you want a great tablet that can occasionally be used for something more productive.

I can’t think of a single scenario where it makes sense for me to reach for an 11” iPad over my 13” MacBook Pro for serious typing. The 11” iPad is a worse experience in every way. It doesn’t even have the perceived weight advantage. I would be giving up a lot of screen for no good reason. I would be using a smaller trackpad for no good reason. I would be beating my fingers against the bottom of the iPad for no good reason. I would be settling for smaller keys and a slightly slower typing speed for no good reason. And I would be doing it all at an unsatisfying viewing angle for no good reason, all while being less stable in my lap.

Truthfully, any addition to the iPad is a bit of a subtraction. But I am a writer. I want all of my devices to be ready to write at a moment’s notice. If I am sitting on the couch with my iPad and an email comes in that I need to respond to right away, I want to be able to zip off a complete and speedy reply without compromises. If my next thought in the article I am working on comes to me while I am playing Candy Crush, I don’t want to have to run to another device to write it down.

For that reason, I ordered the Smart Keyboard at the same time I returned the Magic Keyboard. I know that device all too well. I have used it before. I know the size and weight. It adds very little to the total package compared to the Magic Keyboard. The keyboard is competent. The iPad is still easy to remove and use by itself. That said, if your iPad must be trapped in a case, the Smart Keyboard folio is an excellent choice.

The Smart Keyboard Folio does not have a trackpad and stops short of trying to turn the iPad into a laptop. That’s just fine with me because I already have a laptop that I have no desire to replace. If something bad happens to this laptop, I will replace it with another laptop. Having an 11” iPad with a Smart Keyboard and a laptop is not nearly as duplicative as strapping an 11” iPad to a Magic Keyboard.

If you have an 11” iPad and no laptop the Magic Keyboard could be just the thing for you. But remember, there are no great 11” laptops. And that particular combination will not be the first. If you have a 12.9” iPad and no laptop, the Magic Keyboard is a no-brainer.

If you have the bigger iPad and a laptop, think long and hard about why you want to turn your iPad into a compromised laptop. I’m not saying there isn’t a good reason to do it. It is just that the reason escapes me. If you can’t come up with a good reason and money is an object, give the Magic Keyboard a pass. If you can come up with a good justification for it, you are very likely going to love the big iPad and Magic Keyboard combo. The smaller one, not so much.

David Johnson