Gadgets
This keyboard makes your iPad Pro look like a laptop
If Apple would just put touchscreens on the MacBook Pro we wouldn’t need to do this.
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If you’ve ever wished your iPad Pro was more like the laptop that Apple says it can replace, boy oh boy, Logitech has a new gizmo for you.
The new Slim Folio Pro packs a backlit chiclet-style keyboard all inside a swanky protective folio case for your precious iPad Pro. You’re able to get one for both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions of the iPad Pro, and while it might not stop your iPad from developing a larger bend than Beckham, it’ll probably protect against most of the daily scratches and bumps.
The keys on the folio are closer to the old style of MacBook keys, with scissor mechanisms giving you 1.6mm of key travel to help make typing feel better than poking at a flat touchscreen.
As it was custom made for use on iOS, there’s a full row of iOS-specific function keys across the top
This is where you’d typically find the F-keys on a normal laptop keyboard. That row also has dedicated volume and music controls, a lock button, and the all-important Bluetooth connect button. God forbid you actually have to move your hands to the touchscreen to go back to the home screen or to pause your terrible Spotify playlists.
Image: Logitech
Logitech says the Folio will last for up to three months on a battery charge, but when has a manufacturers estimate of battery life ever been right?
That said, Logitech based that on only two hours of typing a day, which all but the ham-fisted two-finger typer can breeze past easily. Expect maybe a few weeks between charges if you’re a normal worker. It charges via USB-C, so at least you don’t need to carry a second charger as the iPad Pro charger will work. Helping with battery life is automatic on/off features when opened to the right position, just like your AirPods.
And yes, the good version of the Apple Pencil is also protected, with the magnetic clasp that closes the Folio having extra room to accommodate the Pencil’s girth. You can prop the iPad up in two positions, Sketch and Type, or flip it open for a Read mode.
If you want one, pre-orders are open now and Logitech says they should ship later this month. The 11-inch Slim Folio Pro is priced at $119.99, while the 12.9-inch Slim Folio Pro is $129.99.
Of course, if Apple actually stopped slacking and put a touchscreen on the MacBook Pro line, cobbled together solutions like this wouldn’t be needed. Your move, Cook. In the mean time, you can always connect a keyboard like this to your iPad.
What do you think? Interested in this keyboard from Logitech? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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