Are you watching closely?
From ‘The Prestige’ (Directed by Chris Nolan):
Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge”. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course…it probably isn’t. The second act is called “The Turn”. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn’t clap yet. Because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige”.
In his 2017 article, M.G. Siegler compared Apple’s magic not for its ‘Prestige’ but for its ‘Turn’ — i.e. the continuous and meticulous refinement of the company’s craftsmanship leading up to the final reveal.
That analogy (while a clever one) is perhaps better suited for products like the iPhone with over 13 years of revisions. But what do you do when Apple (every so often) comes out of the gate with a brand new product that is so marvelous, so jaw-dropping, that this analogy no longer holds up? In such cases, Apple’s magic is definitely in its ‘Prestige’, not its ‘Turn’. And in our case — so magical, that the term was even added to the product name! I’m of course talking about the Magic Keyboard for iPad.
Life Before the Magic Keyboard
Some context on my usage (or lack thereof) of a hardware keyboard is important to note here. My first three iPads were all used ‘as-is’ i.e. without a keyboard attachment. As the novelty of owning a tablet wore off, I lost interest. The iPad became for me eventually just a bigger iPhone, and with the size of the iPhone increasing, perhaps a bit redundant. It needed to step out from his older sibling’s shadow and I wasn’t waiting around for that to happen.
Last year, I was in the market for a new laptop. Then along came the announcement at WWDC that the iPad was finally getting its own operating system — iPad OS, designed to take full advantage of the device’s capabilities. I figured that with desktop-class browsing and actual multi-tasking, the iPad Pro 12.9 inch running iPad OS (attached to a physical keyboard) was a very compelling option as a laptop replacement and I pulled the trigger. After much research, I opted for the Brydge Pro, which looks like an actual MacBook keyboard with the same color options to match your iPad. Kudos to Brydge — with the layout of the keys and the color mapping, many a people were fooled in to thinking that my iPad was a Space Grey MacBook.
The difference was immediate. Having a physical keyboard allowed me to type much faster (think term paper fast), the ability to prop the screen (at almost any angle), and access to dedicated controls to adjust the volume and brightness — icing on the proverbial cake. Dream setup, correct?
See, that’s the thing about dreams — they seem to crumble when you inspect them up close. I still had to touch the screen to launch, install or move apps, or manipulate multi-tasking windows as there was no built-in trackpad support. Not Brydge’s fault — Apple didn’t provide proper cursor/trackpad support at the time. That left me in limbo land. An actual laptop wouldn’t need that much hand holding (no pun intended). It was tiring — both literally and figuratively.
The other big issue was the way the iPad is connected and disconnected from the Brydge keyboard. Fore more on that, see embedded video later in the post.
When Apple released basic (emphasis on basic) mouse support with the release of iOS 13 as an accessibility feature, I didn’t bother testing it. The writing was on the wall — precise mouse support or bust. This eventually materialized with iOS 13.4 and boy was it a game changer. I quickly re-charged my long forgotten Apple Mouse and, while it worked beautifully, I longed for a built-in trackpad setup instead of having to worry about where the mouse was all the time, or whether it was charged. Too much worrying — not worth it when we have other (bigger) things to worry about. Getting another keyboard with a built-in trackpad was inevitable.
Enter Magic Keyboard
So when Apple announced a brand new magic keyboard with actual scissor switch keys and a trackpad, it tickled my fancy (I’ve been dying to use that phrase) to say the least. I did not buy it at launch as I tend to do with other Apple products. I wanted to give Brydge another chance to make sure I wasn’t overly spellbound by the glitz and glamor that surrounds new Apple products. Around the same time, I secured a second-hand MacBook Pro and I found myself drawn to it.
You know what is better than a laptop replacement? An actual laptop.
When I realized that my iPad usage had dropped because I just couldn’t be bothered with a keyboard sans trackpad anymore, I knew it was time to take the plunge. So I had my wife gift it to me on my birthday. It was either that or the Ooni pizza oven. While the entry level (wood burning) oven model was cheaper, the Magic Keyboard won by default since the oven isn’t available for sale until Fall of 2020.
Form and Function
Just look at it. The design is stunningly simple yet elegant — add the iPad floating right above the keyboard, and it’s drop-dead gorgeous. The keyboard has a dual hinge system. The first hinge (at the bottom) locks in to place, while the second hinge accommodates the iPad and allows for a limited yet adequate range of tilt. John Gruber’s review had me mentally prepared to struggle with the stiffness of getting the hinge in place but either he got a much stiffer model or he had already conditioned me not to be put off by it — either way, it was a non-issue.
Bring the iPad close and it just latches on to the flap above the second hinge courtesy of an extremely strong system of magnets (more on this below). While the angle of the iPad can only be adjusted to a limited degree compared to the Brydge Pro, I haven’t found it limiting. Apple also claimed little to no wobble while typing in lap mode and I can confirm that. Some reviewers have mentioned that the bottom of the floating keyboard (when fully tilted back) is too close to the keys (and maybe an impediment to typing), I did not find it to be an issue — your mileage may wary.
Magnets
Jason Snell wrote a wonderful post in Macworld two years ago on Apple’s use of magnets across its product line. Snell highlighted the use of magnets in Apple’s Smart Folio and Smart Keyboard Folio citing the cleverness of the design — how it wakes up the device and, more importantly, how it just snaps into place without much thought and remains stuck until actively removed. So while the use of magnets is not new in Apple products, the magnets in the Magic Keyboard seem to be on steroids. Here’s a picture of me holding it upside down.
Not that I want to make a habit of carrying the iPad this way, it’s good to know how securely it’s attached to the top flap. I don’t think this level of magnetism was necessarily possible with previous covers but I could be wrong.
To showcase how much easier it is to take the iPad on and off using the Magic Keyboard versus a Brydge Pro, I created a split screen video (for the first time ever). Seriously, just this video clip alone might have replaced me waxing poetic in this review, but I needed an excuse to use the keyboard for an extended period of time and validate that you could indeed write a novel on this thing without breaking a sweat. The keyboard passed with flying colors — in fact, this entire post was written exclusively using the Magic Keyboard.
While the Brydge fails horribly here, the one area in which it does outshine the Magic Keyboard is opening it from a closed position. The Brydge has this indented area (similar in design to the Macbook Pro), which makes it easy to open, whereas it’s a bit trickier with the Magic Keyboard since you have to pry it open without any such finger-hold.
Keyboard
Call me old-school but the couple of times I tried the woven fabric keys of the Smart Keyboard Folio, I remained unimpressed. Whereas, the scissor-switch keys on the Magic Keyboard feel like actual keyboard keys and have surprisingly more travel than I expected (pleasantly so). Furthermore, they have a satisfying click to the ears when pressed. This is hard to explain but people who like clicky keyboards will know what I mean. The keyboard is adequately backlit. I just checked the default brightness settings and it’s just slightly beyond the half-way mark. I don’t see myself messing around with it too much.
Smart Connector
This is my first time using an Apple accessory with a Smart Connector, which is a port that drives power and data from the iPad to the keyboard. I don’t have to worry about pairing nor do I have to keep an eye out for battery drain, which is unavoidable baggage that comes with a Bluetooth device. I had the Brydge keyboard die on at least on two occasions that I can recall. Most importantly, there isn’t any noticeable lag between typing and the corresponding result on the screen. The lag and drained battery are two issues I occasionally ran in to with the Brydge keyboard — maddening to say the least. It’s a shame that third-party case manufacturers don’t have more products taking advantage of the smart connector. It’s a game changer.
TrackPad
I’ve used many trackpads, but the sensory joy of an Apple trackpad is unparalleled. In fact, one of the defining advantages of an Apple laptop is the large real estate devoted to the trackpad, with its buttery smooth surface (not 100% sure it’s glass but it sure as heck feels like it) allowing your fingers to glide effortlessly to manifest your actions on the screen. It’s like caressing your cat in just the right spot, and she purrs in satisfaction. It was almost soul-crushingly absent on the Brydge Pro model that I owned and this was one of the first things I extensively tested (even more than typing) on the Magic Keyboard. I have good news to report — the trackpad on the Magic Keyboard is just as amazing and responsive.
USB-C
The Magic Keyboard adds another USB-C port via a thin cylindrical tube right underneath the bottom hinge. This is genius as you can simultaneously charge the iPad and top off the battery of your dying iPhone. Alternatively, you can charge your iPad and have an accessory like your SLR camera plugged in and import your photos, or a USB-C hub, which opens up other options such as connecting your iPad to a larger screen via HDMI (think presentations). It’s not like you couldn’t plug accessories before, but it was more challenging to charge your iPad and and use an accessory at the same time. Now you can have your cake, and eat it too.
Wishlist
I understand the trade-off for not adding function keys because an additional row would likely inhibit typing, as the bottom edge of the iPad would float right above it. That said, I wonder if there are ways to make the number keys serve a third function in combination with another key (such as Control or Cmd)? I miss having the screen brightness and volume control options on the keyboard and using the control center to change either one seems a bit disruptive.
Similarly, the lack of a dedicated Siri launcher key (like on the Brydge keyboard) is understandable given the space limitations, but I’m hoping Apple can add it as a modifier key option in the Hardware Keyboard settings.
Conclusion
I’m not here to tell you whether to buy further in to Apple’s ecosystem. The Magic Keyboard is not an inexpensive addition to your already expensive iPad. There are cheaper and ‘good enough’ options out there. But do get something instead of typing on the tablet screen. Without a physical keyboard, the iPad is in perpetual Bruce Wayne mode all the time. Yes, he’s cool, rich, resourceful, and has a lot of style — but give him a bat suit and watch him fly.
If you are seriously considering the Magic Keyboard, rest assured that it is as delightful as any good magic trick ought to be and a source of joy, more than it has any right to be.
Perhaps Washington Irving described it best:
He is indeed the true enchanter, whose spell operates, not upon the senses, but upon the imagination and the heart.
