Is The Magic Keyboard For iPad Air and iPad Pro Worth It?
If you’re considering a current generation iPad Air or iPad Pro and want to keep your costs down, you’re probably going to avoid accessories like the Apple Magic Keyboard which starts at $299 for the iPad Air (4th/5th generation) and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st/2nd/3rd generation) and $349 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd/4th/5th generation).
Sure, you could get the Smart Keyboard Folio which starts at $179 but you lose the floating stand design and trackpad which are important selling points of the Magic Keyboard not to mention the Magic Keyboard does offer a nice typing experience with comfortable key travel.
Certainly, the overall user experience is an important factor when determining whether to get the Magic Keyboard but is it REALLY worth it adding another $299 or $349 on top of the cost of the iPad itself?
Well, it depends on what you intend to use the iPad for.
If you plan on using the iPad primarily for recreational and entertainment purposes and don’t need a physical keyboard and trackpad, the only real benefit of the Magic Keyboard is the floating stand design which is nice but for $299 or $349, you can probably find less expensive alternatives to keep your iPad upright.
However, if you plan to use the iPad for both professional and recreational purposes, having the physical keyboard and trackpad could be quite useful and helpful. Think about it … if you create a lot of documents or compose/respond to a lot of e-mails on the iPad, the Magic Keyboard would certainly be well worth the investment.
I don’t create a lot of documents on my iPad Air nor do I compose/respond to a lot of e-mails on it either. I usually do that on the computer. However, I still like having the option and flexibility of the Magic Keyboard. I could probably survive without the trackpad (precision is not as good as a mouse cursor) but there are some instances where the touchscreen doesn’t play ball and the trackpad offers better precision than the touchscreen. Even when I’m simply surfing the web or going on YouTube, I like having the physical keyboard to type in search criteria instead of using the virtual on-screen keyboard. It’s easier and feels more comfortable. And since the Magic Keyboard is designed to work with the iPad Air, it just makes sense to go with it than with some third-party accessory.
Ultimately, you’ll need to decide for yourself but if you’re considering pairing a new iPad Air or iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard, it’s certainly worth strong consideration if your use case warrants it.
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Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (4th/5th generation) & 11-inch iPad Pro (1st/2nd/3rd generation)
Apple Magic Keyboard for 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd/4th/5th generation)
Apple AirPods (2nd generation)