iPad Keyboard Cover??

[GalileoSeven]

Coming back home and spending a lot of time with family, there was a lot of picture taking and this caused me to finally bite the bullet and upgrade my iCloud storage. Viewing them on my 1st Gen iPad Air here is a lot better/easier than my phone (an XR) and consequently, I’ve been using it a lot more now.

In using it more, I’ve given some thought to possibly buying another one when my MBA dies (would continue to use this Air, but I havent used it enough to keep the battery in good shape).

My question is, is the Smart Keyboard folio a decent keyboard attachment for iPad, or are there better third-party keyboards (and what are they) ??

 

[icloud]

Price wise the Smart Keyboard is one of the more expensive keyboards available (Better prices through Amazon or eBay). If price is the #1 consideration, consider a BT keyboard through Logitech or something.

People online seem to have a love or hate relationship with this keyboard based on 1) price, 2) odd origami design, and 3) typing experience.

Recommendation: I would recommend that getting the chance to try typing on one would be more valuable than anything I could write in this forum. For me, how a keyboard feels is ultimately a lot more important than just price at the end of the day.

Personally, I‘ve always loved the Smart Keyboards - particularly the typing experience. I prefer it second only to the Magic Keyboard. Origami design is odd, but handy as both combo cover/keyboard.

 

[GalileoSeven]

Thanks for the input. I'll definitely hit up my local Apple store and see what I can get my hands on to try. Right now, I'm torn between the iPad Air (have a first gen currently) and the iPad Mini (love the portability aspect), so if I go the smaller route, that will cancel out the smart keyboard.

 

[icloud]

Thanks for the input. I'll definitely hit up my local Apple store and see what I can get my hands on to try. Right now, I'm torn between the iPad Air (have a first gen currently) and the iPad Mini (love the portability aspect), so if I go the smaller route, that will cancel out the smart keyboard.

The mini is the baby Yoda of the iPad world. I bet even if you went for the Air there would still be a fondness for the mini.

My partner uses a mini with a Bluetooth keyboard, but she’s such a lightweight iPad user that the mini (she generally uses the device for reading/lists/recipes) that this setup works. Alternatively, I do a lot more writing, media consumption, and note taking that despite my love for the mini, the larger iPad fits my use case best.

Thing I remind myself is Apple’s return policy (Or stores like Costco with even more generous return policies). Again, if price is not the deciding factor (iPad Air + Keyboard > iPad mini + Bluetooth Keyboard), buy the one you feel serves your case best, and return if things just aren’t working out.

 

[saw27]

Depending on the IPad you get, I got the Generation 7th generation with smart connector...and then got the Logitech rugged folio. Keeps iPad protected, has a fold out and around keyboard, dedicated IOS keys, and a place to put the pencil.

 

[JayMysterio]

For convenience the smart keyboard is a very sleek & practical choice, but expensive. I usually opt for the smart cover any BT keyboard I still own that works & is lying around option. I only recently got the smart keyboard as a gift, the thing I prefer most is the form factor. Typing experience is acceptable.

 

[coach_ditka]

I recently picked up a Logitech Slim Combo to go with my Air 3. It's got a very nice keyboard, but coming from a logitech blok, it is not as solid/stable. The keyboard becomes disconnected often while in storage, so I can't just open it up and start typing, I need to separate and re-attach. A minor annoyance for an overall good product.