The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro lineup is the best accessory that money can buy, in my humble opinion. But it costs $350… it's too expensive to really recommend it to everyone, especially if your iPad isn't your main computer. So OfficeLab created this Magic Keyboard alternative for $100 that really puts up a good fight against the Magic keyboard. Let me know what you think!
Magic Keyboard Alternative:
Contact me:
Email: fernando@9to5mac.com
Twitter: @nandoprince93
Subscribe:
Comment: Let me know what you think…
Follow: |
FTC: We use income-earning auto-affiliate links:
GEAR I USE:
Screen Protector Paperlike:
iPhone 13 Pro Max:
12.9 M1 iPad Pro:
44in Ultrawide Monitor Innocn:
Logitech MX Anywhere S2:
FOLLOW
–
–
–
Timestamps
—
0:00 – Intro
1:30 – Magic Keyboard Lookalike
3:00 – How It Works
4:30 – Function Keys
5:50- Keyboard Experience
7:30 – Trackpad Experience
11:00- Hinge
11:30 – Battery Life
12:30 -Should You Get It? Final Thoughts
#m1ipadpro #magickeyboard #ipados16
I bet the licensing for the 3 pin connector is 150 dollars. Strictly to discourage people making their own keyboard like Apples. They want that price to keep it competitive with their laptops. They don’t want to cannibalize their own products so if you want to get around buying a laptop by getting a iPad and keyboard, it will cost you roughly the same. They make the same amount of money either way. That’s why the iPad AND its accessories are so expensive.
I agree. I bet it’s $150 and apple has a crazy approval process
I’m surprised Apple didn’t patent the magic keyboard design look. Great there is finally a more affordable elevated iPad keyboard.
dont give them ideas
Whats the price of this ?
Even if they did, it would still be on AliExpress
Don’t think they could patent a look as common as a keyboard with a magnetic back, once it has to rely on standard BT connectivity. Thankfully!
Not the same user experience. Bought this but keyboard and trackpad both terrible. Just the look and design. Using it is another story. No comparison.
Hi man, great and informative content as always !!
Please can you make a demonstration of ipados 16 high refresh rate monitors support ( 120hz or higher)
Nice video and congrats on being on 9to5Mac. When I use my iPad Pro 12.9” with the Apple Magic Keyboard and pull the screen fully forward, it touches the keyboard right above the number keys. Does this unit cover up the function keys when used when pulled fully forward? I often use it like this when on my lap, sitting in a chair. It places the screen very close to my hands so I can touch the screen easily. One other note, I’ve seen their Magic Keyboard on sale for as low as $199, which makes it much more competitive.
Resizing windows on the iPadOS beta is janky right now, so not sure if that’s where you’re running into problems with the keyboard. Anyway, you should be doing reviews on properly configured software, not beta software. Thanks.
Congratulations Fernando for being part of 9to5Mac team!
Great review. I really love the Smart Connector for the iPad. I’ve had a Logitech keyboard with Smart Connector for years and it works like a peach. But when I have a Bluetooth keyboard connected to my 9.7” iPad Pro, works perfectly well.
I’ll be getting a new IPad Pro this year and I think this will be my keyboard for it! Thank you for making us aware of it!
Is that iPadOS 16 on the iPad? Some of the “wonkyness” you are talking about could be from the beta. I am using the Logitech Combo Touch on my M1 iPad Pro and I love it, but I am finding that iPadOS 16 beta still has some bugs in it and is causing some “wonkyness” with the LCT.
Any third party keyboard, for me, would have to support the three-pin Smart Connector. The convenience of it is instant response. I’ve used a couple of bluetooth iPad keyboards and they all suffer from the same problem… initial connection after the iPad has gone to sleep. It takes five or six key hits to get the iPad to wake up, and that gets frustrating. With the Smart Connector, the iPad wakes up immediately. No Smart Connector, no keyboard for me.
agreed but the cheapest option right now is by logitech at $160. thats out of people’s price range sometimes
It’s the opposite for me. My Bluetooth keyboards work wonderfully. I just got the combo touch and it hasn’t even been a full day but I’ve got connectivity issues left and right. When it works, it works beautifully. But having to troubleshoot after every problem isn’t worth it. I’ll be returning it and just sticking to my Bluetooth keyboards.
@Kristin A. hello! Can I ask what bluetooth keyboard you’re using? Thanks
@Moren I have a small collection of Bluetooth/wired keyboards that I use in rotation, but the one I would recommend is the Keychron K3. It’s a mechanical keyboard, but it’s lightweight and has a slim profile so it’s more portable than standard mechanical keyboards. It’s Windows/Mac/Android friendly so you can use it with a variety of devices.
@Kristin A. will look it up. Thanks a lot!
I’m actually experiencing keyboard nightmare these days. Trying to get several different environments to feel somewhat the same from an input perspective. Mac laptop, Mac desktop (docked), Windows laptop, Windows docked and the iPad with a keyboard.
It’s pretty insane one of the best input devices is the iPad magic keyboard. Both the trackpad and the keyboard are pretty much perfection.
On my Macbook pro 16 laptop, the keyboard is sort of sucky to me but might be better if I only used it but I’m always bouncing around. The laptop trackpad is awesome!
The Magic Trackpad that I use when I am docked works very well with the Mac but it doesn’t work worth a crap in Windows without loading some open source drivers which I can’t do at all at work. I use the MX keys at home when docked and at least it works with all platforms but it is very average from the key travel and placement department. I have always been disappointed with that purchase compared to what other people said about it. I have a MX mouse which works fine.
I’m short, finding a consistent user experience with all of these different keyboards is very frustrating and I wish I could just find one keyboard to rule them all. I wish the keyboard Gods would require all keyboards to at least be laid out the same.
I purchased my 12.9 Magic Keyboard from Best Buy for 199.99 New! But I’ll tell you something. I would of still bought it for the full price. That’s how awesome it it. Amazing quality!
I wish I saw this a couple days ago. I just bought a used Magic Keyboard, although I do love the Magic Keyboard I like this one too with function
I want this keyboard, but would rip off the magnetic part. I’ve been looking for a bluetooth keyboard with trackpad that I can use on my lap so I can put the iPad at eye level, for ergonomics and video conferencing, and the keyboard and trackpad on my lap. There is no other good keyboard / trackpad combo that I can put on my lap that I’ve found.
ESR makes some really a good version and I like it a lot because the trackpad actually works as intended.
Hi, and thank you for your vid. What do you suggest for an alternative for a Smart KB for an iPad 10.2? Unfortunately seems your suggested KB isn’t compatible with “Normal” iPad (no Pro or Air)
Thanks for a great review; unfortunately your link shows “currently unavailable”. If anyone has experience with the new (May 2022 release) “Typecase Edge” one – looks a LOT like this one, I’d be very interested to learn about hands-on with trackpad and typing keys.
Superb video! Excellent! I have subscribed. Hoping that the Dracool Magic Keyboard I have just ordered will be as close to 85-95% as good as the genuine Apple article as your tested model was!
Does the fact that it’s Bluetooth and not 3 pin affect the latency? Is there any difference in the delay from when you click the key to when it appears on screen?