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Will the smart keyboard fit the new iPad?
- Thread starter jquest68
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There have been rumors of a redesigned Smart Connector, so not likely. Also, it’s Apple, so of course no!
I don’t think so if the reports of a redesigned smart connector are correct. I think they may redesign their smart keyboards if this is the case, adding backlight would be good but i doubt that will happen.
There was a rumour a while back that Apple were working on a new Apple Pencil, maybe we will see a slew of new accessories along with the new iPads (Apple Pencil 2, new smart keyboards)
There was a rumour a while back that Apple were working on a new Apple Pencil, maybe we will see a slew of new accessories along with the new iPads (Apple Pencil 2, new smart keyboards)
Yeah!
Freaking Apple.... grrrrr!!
They had the 30 pin connector work across 3 product lines for ONLY eleven years- the jerks!
And now they’re 5 years into usage of the replacement, lightning- w/ no apparent plans to break that compatibility!
Cases/screen protectors/etc have historically fit across regular then “S” releases for years upon years now...
So, your “logic” is incredibly sound!!
I think we can all CLEARLY extrapolate the same as you did, w/ the preponderance of evidence before us!!
Apple is definitely going to cancel the smart connector barely after it began....
Tell ya what though- just to be an absolute crazy person; I kinda feel like making a hefty bet to the contrary... interested??
;0)
healthy dose of /s
I dunno. I’ve been hearing some really weird rumors about the upcoming ipad pros...like how the smart connector will be moved to the bottom of the ipad & how they will only fit in the new smart keyboards in portrait. This to me is too bizarre to believe. The ipad pros are marketed as laptop replacements for most people. Most people hold them and use them in landscape to mimic laptops. It would make no sense to suddenly force all those people to use their ipad pro in a completely different way.
I have a feeling that rumor of this smart connector at the bottom of the ipad is actually a 2nd smart connector for the new apple pencil. Of course i am just guessing. I just can’t see Apple telling all ipad pro & smart keyboard users that they now have to type all their documents in portrait only.
There are rumors saying that the 10.5” will increase to 11” while slimming the bezels, and that the 12.9” will keep the same size screen but slim it’s bezels. So i dunno if the old smart keyboard will fit these new sizes. You’d think Apple would enable the new ipads to use the old keyboards...but who knows. It’s Apple! They are always full of suprises. Guess we’ll find out in a month or two.
I have a feeling that rumor of this smart connector at the bottom of the ipad is actually a 2nd smart connector for the new apple pencil. Of course i am just guessing. I just can’t see Apple telling all ipad pro & smart keyboard users that they now have to type all their documents in portrait only.
There are rumors saying that the 10.5” will increase to 11” while slimming the bezels, and that the 12.9” will keep the same size screen but slim it’s bezels. So i dunno if the old smart keyboard will fit these new sizes. You’d think Apple would enable the new ipads to use the old keyboards...but who knows. It’s Apple! They are always full of suprises. Guess we’ll find out in a month or two.
I think you missed the point. It's not about changing ports for the sake of upgrading or fixing a problem. Here take my example. I bought the IPP 9.7 2 months before apple announced the 10.5, no biggie I thought but I was so wrong, apple kind of immediately discontinued all support for the 9.7 and most importantly (at least to me) all case and accessory makers also discontinued their products.
Ok, come september last year, I switched from 9.7 to 10.5 and bought the smart keyboard for the first time (it retails for $175 in my country) and now, not even a year later I find out that if I decide to switch ipads again I'm gonna need to buy another keyboard cause the one I have will be useless if the rumors are true.
So the smart keyboard might be 3 years old, but the IPP 10.5 is barely a year old. I normally don't mind when apple makes changes to it's ports cause I tend to wait 3-4 years to change hardware but in this case I feel a little bit angry cause I don't want to buy a new smart keyboard just because apple decided to move places in internal parts, I'll be specially angry if the reason to move the smart connector is because they changed the battery place or size to squeeze in more battery. I think 10 hours of battery is enough for a tablet.
While I understand what you’re saying, the ASK is an accessory just like anything else, and any given one was made for a specific model/size iPad. The 10.5” was physically larger than the 9.7” and as such the accompanying keyboard cover went larger as well. Didn’t mean that existing accessories were going to suddenly stop working.
Would it be nice to keep the same keyboard cover and use it on multiple generations of iPads? Sure. But I’d rather see change and improvement in form factor and pushing the limits on screen size rather than leaving the iPad as is to accommodate a specific accessory.
The keyboard cover isn’t an inexpensive accessory. I think it’s a solid $200 where I am. At this point, if it’s a product you like to have with the iPad Pro, you gotta factor it into the total purchase & cost of the device. That’s what I do anyway.
The long lasting lightning connector is nice, and deserves praise, however there is a large difference here. Apple sells it’s iPhones and iPads with chargers included in the box, many times the only charger anyone will ever need. However, Apple does not include the Smart Keyboard in the box of iPad Pros and they know that in 9/10 purchases of the iPad Pro the person will also buy the Smart Keyboard. So, by changing the iPad so that the Smart Keyboard for the previous model would not work with the new model, they ensure themselves an extra bit of cash they wouldn’t have otherwise.
It’s just inconceivable that you’ll be able to type only in portrait. Heck multi window (or whatever it’s called doesn’t even work in portrait right?). My two theories.
1. Second smart magnetic connector to stick on Apple Pencil 2 for charging.
2. New smart connector. Redesigned Apple keyboard that either goes halfway up the back in landscape mode (or covers the entire back). Smart connector isn’t at the bottom (in landscape mode) but more towards the top end of the keyboard and connects to the new location.
I don’t think I will ever fault a manufacturer for squeezing in extra battery life.
I really don’t care—I will sell my ASK with my iPad Pro and get whatever is next. But I doubt I will buy an ASK again if they don’t have anything new to bring to the table. I want something that folds flat and has no hump in the middle, and I want backlit keys and media keys. I am rooting for Apple to do this, because there is a very good chance they’ll be the only ones making a decent keyboard case for the new Pros, at least at first.
I think the reason they don’t add a function row up top is to get your hands as close to the screen as possible - they want you to be able to stretch a bit to interact - right or wrong that is what I believe prevents that from happening
no one can answer that question because no one knows what the new iPad Pro is going to look like. folks think they know because they read a rumor, probably here. But they don't really know.
We might know in about a month if Apple does their keynote on the same schedule as the past few years and if they talk about the iPad. or it might be two months if they decide to wait a little bit
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I could call that extremely unlikely. part of the pros of the smart keyboard is that it's thin and basically water proof because there's that solid cover. I don't see Apple changing that so they can have a backlight on a keyboard that doesn't really need it.
I agree that Apple typically does a very good job ensuring the longevity of its proprietary connectors, but the OP was really about whether a case designed for one iPad would fit a new iPad. No one thinks the smart connector is going away, but that doesn't mean the existing Smart Keyboard is likely to fit.
Honestly, the OP is asking a question that we have no way of actually knowing the answer. We’ll know the same day the OP does. I’m excited for it and hoping for a new design ASK.
To your last line, why doesn’t it need it? Seems to me like it’d be pretty useful along with a row of function keys (even half sized). Fair warning, I don’t have an IPP right now so maybe the light from the screen is enough to type. On a laptop, backlighting is essential for me. Can’t type in the dark without it.
Sorry but without changes we would have no progress.
I believe the primary reason is actually in your response, that being that there aren’t any special function keys on the Apple Smart Keyboard. As a touch typist I have no need to look at the keys on the ASK because there are only standard keys on it. Backlighting would be nice to have but it’s not absolutely necessary IMO.
Boy I hope they don't move the smart connector. 99% of the time I use the smart connector for cable-less charging in its stand. And I need it to be horizontal for video.
Once you get used to just plopping it in the stand and never hooking up a cable, I don't think you could go back.
Once you get used to just plopping it in the stand and never hooking up a cable, I don't think you could go back.