Goodbye to Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio, the best iPad Pro accessory

I had a sneaky suspicion it would happen. All the rumors about the new iPad Pro—its move to an OLED screen, the more premium Magic Keyboard—convinced me that Apple would quietly move on from quirky, very no luxurious Smart Keyboard Folio that became my preferred carry for the 2018 iPad Pro and later the iPad Pro M1.

Of course, the Smart Keyboard Folio is not compatible with OLED iPad Pros. The 11-inch version It can still be used with the sixth-generation iPad Air, but that’s about it. So if you’re using Apple’s best tablet, it’s no longer an option. And with no similar alternative in sight, I’m bummed.

Before we start praising, let’s address the negative points. The Smart Keyboard Folio does not have a trackpad; so unless you pair a mouse with your iPad, the only way to navigate is by tapping the screen. This isn’t ideal for long periods, but the entire purpose of the product, at least to me, has always felt like a keyboard tailor-made for short bursts of productivity. Send an email? Absolutely. Post a blog? Yes, I wrote many posts about On the edge using this. If you’ve ever wanted to work on a novel, Magic Keyboard has always been there waiting in the wings as an advanced option for the really serious stuff.

My other criticism of SKF is that Apple yet It hasn’t been fully fixed with the new Magic Keyboard, which starts at $300. The palm rest and keyboard are now aluminum, which is objectively an improvement. But on the outside, Apple still uses the same old material that catches smudges like no other and tends to age terribly. I have long hoped that they would switch to fabrics like Logitech or simply invent something (anything) better, but no.

And then there’s the price: the Smart Keyboard Folio for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro it cost around $200 – pretty ridiculous when you consider how basic it was. It didn’t have backlit keys. There were only two angles to choose from when using the iPad vertically. It didn’t offer a spare USB-C port or any extra connectivity. It was literally just a folio case with a weird keyboard inside.

But do you know what made up for all of this? Versatility and a lightweight design that even the newest, lightest Magic Keyboard still can’t match. In practice, it worked exceptionally well. The fabric-covered keyboard felt almost invincible. Of course, the keys barely traveled at all and I wouldn’t exactly describe the typing experience as “comfortable”. But the Smart Keyboard Folio was a keyboard when I needed it – I could write Border articles using the anywhere thing if there was breaking news – and it could just fold behind the screen while I was reading The New York Times, surfing the web, or retouching photos using an Apple Pencil with the tablet on your lap. Feeling my fingers against the keys in that upside-down orientation was a little strange at first, but I got used to it quickly.

With the Magic Keyboard, you have to completely disconnect your iPad Pro whenever you want to do some reading or use the device in a way where all you really need is the screen. Some people will prefer this, but the Smart Keyboard Folio was thin enough that you never had to make a choice; you can always leave it on no matter what you’re doing.

Then there was the fact that the folio keyboard was very light. Kept the iPad Pro feeling like an iPad in my bag. This has never been the case with a connected Magic Keyboard. When this happens, you’ve entered MacBook weight territory. I’m not saying there’s any problem with that, but with the Smart Keyboard Folio, there was something special about carrying such a powerful combo that always felt so airy on my back.

At best, Apple is being somewhat stubborn in assuming that every iPad Pro buyer wants the tablet to feel like a laptop (and weigh similar to one) whenever a keyboard is attached, which is what the Magic Keyboard does. offers. If you want to look at this more pessimistically, the company is intentionally killing what was an attractive and more affordable accessory – one that was easy to take anywhere – in the hopes that more people will shell out more than $300 for the only premium keyboard. party available for the new Pro.

Now it fits other companies to replicate the Smart Keyboard Folio – assuming any of them decide to bother. For now, Logitech is only producing an updated version of your Combo Touch, which has more Surface Pro vibes than anything else. It’s nothing like the folio, so I’m not optimistic that anyone will step in to fill the void.

You don’t really know what you have until it’s gone, I suppose.