iPad Pro iPad Pro Magic Keyboard Charging from Smart Connector and Charging Speed?

[omelet1978]

Hi,

I was just wondering if the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard charges like the current smart keyboard folio and uses the smart connector on the back of the iPad or do you have to charge it separately via the Magic Keyboard USB C Port?

Also the charging speed of the USB-C port on the Magic Keyboard is it 29 watts? I have not seen that in any info or posts on this but could have missed it somewhere.

Thanks

 

[BATman.Berlin]

We’ll find out in May I guess

 

[UltimateSyn]

I was also wondering about this and if there will be any difference between the 2018 and 2020.

 

[The Game 161]

Hi,

I was just wondering if the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard charges like the current smart keyboard folio and uses the smart connector on the back of the iPad or do you have to charge it separately via the Magic Keyboard USB C Port?

Also the charging speed of the USB-C port on the Magic Keyboard is it 29 watts? I have not seen that in any info or posts on this but could have missed it somewhere.

Thanks

If charges in the port as you see above and it charges via the smart connector

 

[AutomaticApple]

Hi,

I was just wondering if the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard charges like the current smart keyboard folio and uses the smart connector on the back of the iPad or do you have to charge it separately via the Magic Keyboard USB C Port?

Also the charging speed of the USB-C port on the Magic Keyboard is it 29 watts? I have not seen that in any info or posts on this but could have missed it somewhere.

Thanks

Yes, it uses the smart connector.

 

[omelet1978]

Yes, it uses the smart connector.

Yes it uses the smart connector but does it charge via the smart connector? Is that confirmed since it would be nice to not have to charge 2 spots

 

[AutomaticApple]

Yes it uses the smart connector but does it charge via the smart connector? Is that confirmed since it would be nice to not have to charge 2 spots

It doesn't have a battery. It is powered by the iPad.

 

[RevTEG]

Yes it uses the smart connector but does it charge via the smart connector? Is that confirmed since it would be nice to not have to charge 2 spots

Yes it charges via the smart connector freeing up the iPads USB-C for other usage. What we don't know os if the charging speeds are different. There was a charging stand (I think made by 12 South) that charges the first iPad with the smart connector but the charging speeds were slow. I expect Apple will change that because power users could drain the battery while it was connected to the 12 South charging stand. I can't see that being the case with the coming Magic Keyboard. We shall see. What if gen 2 Magic keyboard has fast charging and not gen 1? That would be brutal.

 

[rdy0329]

The logi base was able to take advantage of the Smart Connector for the old design iPad Pro and current gen iPads to charge them. Although reviewers said it was slow.

not sure if that will change with the launch of Magic Keyboard.

PSA: Yes, You Can Charge the iPad Using the Smart Connector

If you have an iPad Pro (first or second-generation), the 10.5-inch iPad Air or even the 10.2-inch iPad, charge up using Smart Connector.

wccftech.com

Apple has been known to include hardware features that can only be activated with the right accessories (30W charging was supported by iPad Pro 2015 but lightning to usb-c cable was only introduced months later).

 

[sjm88]

My iPad Magic Keyboard arrived today, and I can confirm that it charges very slowly via the case's USB-C port - such that it drains battery while plugged in, if doing something processor intensive. I'm trying now to see if using a low screen brightness (formerly at 80%, now at 20%) will help.

This is disappointing, as I had hoped to use it plugged in via the case while editing video - connecting to an external monitor using the "second" USB-C port - but I assume it's a limitation of the smart connector.

I have to say, I am especially motivated to use the case port, as not having the cable plugged in to the device itself has significantly increased the amount that I disconnect the iPad and use it sans case.

 

[GrindedDown]

My iPad Magic Keyboard arrived today, and I can confirm that it charges very slowly via the case's USB-C port - such that it drains battery while plugged in, if doing something processor intensive. I'm trying now to see if using a low screen brightness (formerly at 80%, now at 20%) will help.

This is disappointing, as I had hoped to use it plugged in via the case while editing video - connecting to an external monitor using the "second" USB-C port - but I assume it's a limitation of the smart connector.

I have to say, I am especially motivated to use the case port, as not having the cable plugged in to the device itself has significantly increased the amount that I disconnect the iPad and use it sans case.

Let me ask you this, are you using the 18w charger that came with the iPad? I had a usb-c Hub that would charge dreadfully slow with the 18w charger. Once I plugged in a 45 watt usb-c charger, the charging speeds were very fast. If I recall, Apple claimed up to 60w of power input compatibility (not to say iPad will charge at 60w).

 

[Precursor]

Once I plugged in a 45 watt usb-c charger, the charging speeds were very fast. If I recall, Apple claimed up to 60w of power input compatibility (not to say iPad will charge at 60w).

I use a mini size 60W charger, charges about same speed as the 29W MacBook charger

 

[Ghost31]

My iPad Magic Keyboard arrived today, and I can confirm that it charges very slowly via the case's USB-C port - such that it drains battery while plugged in, if doing something processor intensive. I'm trying now to see if using a low screen brightness (formerly at 80%, now at 20%) will help.

This is disappointing, as I had hoped to use it plugged in via the case while editing video - connecting to an external monitor using the "second" USB-C port - but I assume it's a limitation of the smart connector.

I have to say, I am especially motivated to use the case port, as not having the cable plugged in to the device itself has significantly increased the amount that I disconnect the iPad and use it sans case.

Odd considering others are saying it charges at “basically full speed”

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1252240299834748928

but whatever the case, doesn’t matter for me since i never plug anything Into my ipad and can just use the regular port to charge

 

[sparksd]

Some user input here -

https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/g4u7po

 

[Ghost31]

Some user input here -

https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/g4u7po

Ya knowwww...just throwing this out there, but ever since iPhone x came out in 2017 I’ve always wanted to be able to have a pad i could seat my ipad down on and charge “wirelessly”. I dont even care how long it takes.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

My iPad Magic Keyboard arrived today, and I can confirm that it charges very slowly via the case's USB-C port - such that it drains battery while plugged in, if doing something processor intensive. I'm trying now to see if using a low screen brightness (formerly at 80%, now at 20%) will help.

This is disappointing, as I had hoped to use it plugged in via the case while editing video - connecting to an external monitor using the "second" USB-C port - but I assume it's a limitation of the smart connector.

I have to say, I am especially motivated to use the case port, as not having the cable plugged in to the device itself has significantly increased the amount that I disconnect the iPad and use it sans case.

Mine doesn't arrive until tomorrow, but it seems others will disagree with you so far.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1252244227813068800

These guys say up to 22W, which is a little less than the 30W max it can charge, but shouldn't drain while plugged in, and shouldn't really be slow.

iPad Pro Magic Keyboard USB-C Passthrough Port Allows Charging Speeds of up to 22W

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro features a USB-C passthrough port and it allows you to charge the tablet at a fairly respectable 22 watts.

wccftech.com

 

[rdy0329]

22W is not bad. That means it can take 18W included at full speed and 30W at reduced speed.

mKBHD also noted 60% in 1 hour vs. 40% in 1 hour charge time difference in his review video and I’m assuming that’s for the 30W brick.

 

[yegon]

That’s actually better than I thought it’d be, I was concerned it might even be as bad as a 5W charger.

 

[Fat.tofu]

That’s actually better than I thought it’d be, I was concerned it might even be as bad as a 5W charger.

Yes glad to know it goes beyond 5w.

I remember the whole 5w limit thing started when logitech released a charging dock and the smart connector only draws 5w. Such a let down that time.

 

[yegon]

Yes glad to know it goes beyond 5w.

I remember the whole 5w limit thing started when logitech released a charging dock and the smart connector only draws 5w. Such a let down that time.


View attachment 907867

Yeah exactly, I would have got one of those bases if it wasn’t slug slow to charge.

 

[007p]

What would happen if you plugged power into both the magic keyboard and the usbc port? What would take precedence? What about hubs, would the iPad try to take power from the hub as a priority?

 

[sjm88]

Let me ask you this, are you using the 18w charger that came with the iPad? I had a usb-c Hub that would charge dreadfully slow with the 18w charger. Once I plugged in a 45 watt usb-c charger, the charging speeds were very fast. If I recall, Apple claimed up to 60w of power input compatibility (not to say iPad will charge at 60w).

This was using the 29W Apple USB-C charger - which charges very quickly directly plugged in the to the iPad. The use case for draining whilst plugged in was playing Civ VI - which is about as taxing as anything you’re likely to throw at it. I’m hopeful that editing in LumaFusion might not drain!

 

[pedregosa]

This is disappointing, as I had hoped to use it plugged in via the case while editing video - connecting to an external monitor using the "second" USB-C port - but I assume it's a limitation of the smart connector.

Keep in mind that if you use a USB-C monitor, then the same cable that connects to the monitor also delivers a charge to the iPad Pro from the monitor. So you don’t need a separate charging cable.

 

[sjm88]

Keep in mind that if you use a USB-C monitor, then the same cable that connects to the monitor also delivers a charge to the iPad Pro from the monitor. So you don’t need a separate charging cable.

I don’t use a USB-C monitor - I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen one... I use a miniDP-thunderbolt adapter.
I would have noticed if it were providing charge!

 

[pedregosa]

I don’t use a USB-C monitor - I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen one... I use a miniDP-thunderbolt adapter.
I would have noticed if it were providing charge!

Correct — you wouldn’t get a charge with that set-up.