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iPad Pro iPad Pro 11 M4: Smart Folio or Magic Keyboard or Both
- Thread starter gregpod9
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It's hard to answer this without knowing how you use your iPad. For me, I mostly use it as a consumption/travel device and leave the heavy productivity to my Mac, so the added cost/bulk of the Magic Keyboard isn't worth it to me.
I just get the IPP 11 M4 and bought both. Haven’t had the keyboard with my prior iPads. It’s amazingly good.
Smart Folio.
While the Magic Keyboard itself is awesome, the price is not. Just use the Smart Folio and combine it with a good Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for the moments you want to use the iPad as a real fully fledged computer.
Is that as ‘sexy’ as the Magic Keyboard? No. But for using it as a computer, occasionally pairing a BT keyboard and mouse is more than good enough. All works automatic as well nowadays.
Saves you $200-$300 and I’m sure you have good ideas for that money to be spend elsewhere.
While the Magic Keyboard itself is awesome, the price is not. Just use the Smart Folio and combine it with a good Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for the moments you want to use the iPad as a real fully fledged computer.
Is that as ‘sexy’ as the Magic Keyboard? No. But for using it as a computer, occasionally pairing a BT keyboard and mouse is more than good enough. All works automatic as well nowadays.
Saves you $200-$300 and I’m sure you have good ideas for that money to be spend elsewhere.
Honestly, the use cases are different and I like having both. Folio for drawing and tablety stuff, Keyboard when using my iPad as a laptop replacement.
If I didn’t sketch on my iPad, I would probably lean towards only having the Magic Keyboard - but as it is, I think both are great to have.
Super expensive, I know 🙁
If I didn’t sketch on my iPad, I would probably lean towards only having the Magic Keyboard - but as it is, I think both are great to have.
Super expensive, I know 🙁
+1 for both. Biggest issue with the Magic Keyboard for me is that you can’t lay the iPad flat. Shame they killed the Smart Keyboard Folio.
I voted, "both". These magnetically attach making it easy to switch between the two as the mood strikes. I really dislike onscreen keyboards so having a physical keyboard for emails and office-type productivity is very helpful.
Some may recommend a separate bluetooth keyboard. They work well enough, but are inconvenient when transporting or using the combo in mobile settings.
I have a 10th gen iPad with smart folio and 3rd party smart keyboard folio, but the rationale holds across the entire iPad lineup.
I have both. Mainly use the Keyboard but when just using as “a tablet” the folio.
Don’t like the the new folio, first position is near straight up and down lol, can’t use that and 2nd leans a bit too far back, annoying trying to get the 2nd position set as it’s higher up the iPad, prefer my M1 folio myself, it just locks in at the perfect position easily.
You can set it to any position between those two extremes now.
I replaced probably 5 keyboards for my 10.5 IPP and splurged on the magic. I love it and more often than not the thing isn’t even attached. When it is I love it more then that cloth monstrosity that stopped working and needed replacing for no apparent reason.
Magic Keyboard is pretty epic. Admittedly I’ve never owned one and am having my first proper iPad experience in year (11” M4 with Magic Keyboard). It’s succeeded in replacing my laptop for 95% of tasks (the other 5% being Final Cut Pro and Compressor; I haven’t given FCP for iPad a shot yet because I am very proficient at the Mac workflow and don’t edit too often anymore anyway). I can’t imagine owning 2 cases for this iPad. It’s either in the keyboard case or being used as a tablet, generally speaking.
I wound up getting (and keeping) both. The problem with the Magic Keyboard is that it doesn't fold back on itself, meaning it cannot double as a Smart Keyboard for the back protection when I want to use my iPad as a tablet. But I also don't want to get the Logitech folio keyboard as I prefer to use the iPad naked wherever possible (eg: on the bed or sofa) because I prefer to keep it as thin and light as possible.
So my Magic Keyboard stays on my desk for when I want to do some typing (I know, it's essentially a very expensive dock / stand), the Smart Folio is when I bring my iPad outdoors or around the house, and when in use, it's easy to attach and detach the cases from the iPad due to the use of magnetics.
Only qualm is that the cases are super-expensive (especially the Smart Folio), but at the moment, I cannot find the 2024 equivalent of this online.
JETech Magnetic Case for iPad Pro 11 Inch (2022/2021/2020/2018 Model), and iPad Air 5/4 (10.9-Inch 2022/2020), Support Pencil 2nd Gen Charging, Magnetic Attachment (Black) : Amazon.sg: Electronics
JETech Magnetic Case for iPad Pro 11 Inch (2022/2021/2020/2018 Model), and iPad Air 5/4 (10.9-Inch 2022/2020), Support Pencil 2nd Gen Charging, Magnetic Attachment (Black) : Amazon.sg: Electronics
www.amazon.sg
Ideally, Apple releases a Smart Keyboard for the M4 iPad Pro in due course. Man, this iPad is a very expensive hobby...
I was going to do the folio only. But then I got the Magic Keyboard and returned the folio. I couldn’t justify both for my personal use case. The MK update is pretty awesome.
Then get a 3rd party folio. Not as nice as Apple’s, but you can find them as low as $20 which makes them fine for occasional use.