iPad Pro Magic Keyboard vs. Smart Keyboard Folio: Which is better?

For the new iPad Pro, Apple designed a breathtakingly expensive “Magic KeyboardRemove non-product link” case that includes a trackpad. If you’re confused by that name, yes, it’s the same name Apple uses for its standalone Bluetooth keyboards. So much for good SEO.

But Apple already has an iPad Pro keyboard case called the Smart Keyboard FolioRemove non-product link, which was originally designed for the 2018 tablet, and Apple updated that case to account for the square sensor array in the latest iPad Pros. That means you now have a couple of Apple-branded options for keyboard cases, but as you’ll see in our comparisons below, it’s really “smarter” to go for the Magic Keyboard if you can sling that kind of cash around.

Keyboard

Apple’s use of the name “Magic Keyboard” for its latest case is likely meant to drive home that it’s a “real” keyboard, complete with the scissor switches you’ll find in the recent 16-inch MacBook Pro. The keys are even backlit—which is an improvement over Apple’s standalone Magic Keyboard—and they allow for 1mm of key travel. Below the keyboard, you’ll also find a trackpad, which we’ll discuss at greater length in a bit.

As for the Smart Keyboard Folio, it has no trackpad or backlighting for its keys. The keys themselves are covered in a canvas-like material that essentially makes key travel non-existent. Most of the time, typing with it feels like drumming your fingers on a tabletop.

Leif Johnson/IDG

It’s still possible to love the Smart Keyboard Folio, particularly as the design keeps the case thin and because that canvas keeps crumbs and other particles from slipping in between the keys. That might make it more appealing if you’re often out and about with your iPad Pro, but it’s a stretch.

Trackpad

Here’s an easy one: The Magic Keyboard has a trackpad and the Smart Folio Keyboard doesn’t.

That’s a massive advantage in the Magic Keyboard’s favor as you’ll have to hook up an external mouse or trackpad to get the same effect on the Smart Folio Keyboard.

The trackpad gestures are generally similar to what you would use in a MacBook, but there are some iPad-specific ones as well. Be sure to check out our dedicated how-to for more information.

Apple

Adjustability

Like the Smart Keyboard Folio before it, the Magic Keyboard holds the iPad Pro in place with a powerful magnet. But now there’s an especially good reason for that grip. Thanks to a cantilevered hinge on the Magic Keyboard, you can tilt the iPad up to 130 degrees until you find the perfect viewing angle, much as you might with a MacBook. The iPad itself “floats” above the keyboard, so you won’t have to look down as far as you would with the Smart Keyboard Folio.

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