2018 12.9” Owners - Would you rather have the Smart Folio Keyboard or.....

[gatorknight904]

2018 12.9” owners answer me this:

Scenario:

You currently have the Smart Folio & Pencil.

If you could only choose ONE more accessory what would you pick?

Apple Smart Keyboard Folio at $199

Or

HomePod $249 (BestBuy Black Friday)

????

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I really, really like ASK and use it all the time. For me, it’s a much, much better than on-screen keyboards. I’m a very fast touch typist. The HomePod would be a fun toy to me, but I wouldn’t get anywhere the same amount of use from it.

 

[Rck1984]

That is something so personal. I’d go for the Smart Keyboard because without, the Pro isn’t Pro to me (opinion based on my use). Besides that, I have several Sonos one’s at home, HomePod is useless for me.

 

[gatorknight904]

Thanks for the votes & responses!

 

[sracer]

2018 12.9” owners answer me this:

Scenario:

You currently have the Smart Folio & Pencil.

If you could only choose ONE more accessory what would you pick?

Apple Smart Keyboard Folio at $199

Or

HomePod $249 (BestBuy Black Friday)

????

I would find it very difficult to type on my iPad using a HomePod.

(ok, SOMEBODY had to say it)

How do you plan on using your iPad Pro? That is the major factor. Although I'm a huge fan of the original ASK, if I were going to get these new iPad Pros, I definitely would NOT buy the Folio keyboard. The keyboard seems to be a step backward IMO and I'd rather buy Apple's Magic Keyboard to use with it instead.

I wouldn't even buy the Folio case... I'd want a smartcover which currently is not available for it.

 

[BrettDS]

I think the question comes down to how often and where you plan to use the keyboard.

If you already have the smart folio then switching back and forth between that and the Smart Keyboard folio is going to be a pain. If you only want a keyboard for occasional use then get the magic keyboard (which, in fact, is what I did and what I am using to type this). It also has the benefit of being a ‘real’ keyboard with better feeling keys and media control keys. Even the volume and brightness keys on the magic keyboard work with the iPad.

If you need a keyboard all the time, then maybe the Smart Keyboard folio makes sense instead of the smart folio, but for me I don’t use the keyboard often enough to justify the extra bulk and weight of having the Smart Keyboard folio attached the iPad all the time, and as I said above switching folios just to use the keyboard is awkward and annoying. With the magic keyboard you can just grab the keyboard, turn it on and start to type without having to switch folios.

One downside to the magic keyboard is that it really doesn’t work to hold the iPad and the keyboard in your lap as you type. The Smart Keyboard folio makes lap typing possible, so if you anticipate needing to use a keyboard while your iPad is in your lap frequently then you might want to consider the Smart Keyboard folio.

 

[Treebark]

This is the first ASK I've had. In a way, I thank Apple for not having smart cover this time around. Since the only options from them at launch were folio (covering the back, unlike the 2015's cover only covering the front) I decided to try the keyboard.

I am *VERY* glad I did. I identified several things I didn't like in my first impressions thread (heavier, etc.) but two things trump all the inconvenience of the ASK for me:

1. The rigidity of the ASK two stand positions trumps the Smart Folio in nearly all my uses (I have one chair that slopes down that the top heaviness means I need to adjust how I normally used the Smart Cover before).
2. That ever-present keyboard has been used MUCH more than I anticipated. I no longer jump over to a computer if I have a lot to type, I find myself typing more (maybe to the woe of the recipients), and I type a lot faster.

My suggestion would be to return the Smart Folio (you have 14 days I think?) and get the Smart Keyboard.

The homepod I'm sure is a great product, I haven't looked too closely at it since I have Sonos speakers already around the house. But in no way would one smart speaker with Siri trump the keyboard for me.