Magic Keyboard overpriced?

[Ifti]

Purchased the Magic Keyboard and pencil with my new iPad Pro 12.9, but I just cant stomach the price of the keyboard when I look at what it is! Seems massively expensive, no?
It's going back either way since it can be had for cheaper at other non-Apple retailers, but even at half the price, its expensive considering what it is. Yes, I know - Apple tax - but the Apple tax here is extortionately high!

 

[MBAir2010]

I would look at this as the keyboard should "hopefully" last forever.
and knowing this is designed specially for the iPod, you will never have a connection problem, as a 3rd party one.

this is the best encouragement I can do!

 

[stanza.richi]

I bought mine for 12.9 2018 with a huge deal on amazon.it for 180€. Still don’t think it worth the full price, but it’s a really useful tool that change the way you could use your iPad.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Horribly, terribly overpriced… but the experience of it is SO much better than any of the 3rd party alternatives, so I sprang for it when I got the M1 12.9” about a year ago. No regrets.

 

[Isamilis]

The only major drawback of MK is its price. Other than that, you will get smooth-sailing (“just work”) experience plus style and practicality. I bought mine early last year and is still functioning perfectly until now (color is black).

 

[nburwell]

Agree with the other responses. I love the MK, but it’s massively overpriced, but I really didn’t like any of the third party options. But I use it everyday as my IPP sits next to my work computer during the day.

 

[Ifti]

I agree it’s a lovely piece of kit - using it now. But I will be returning it as I’ve seen the same thing, brand new sealed, for almost half the price via a local eBay seller! I’ll get it from there instead…..

Make the entire unit quite heavy though (I get why - to stop it toppling back etc), but its heavier then a MacBook Air by a fair bit I’d say…..

 

[James Godfrey]

100% overpriced!

Poor quality material which starts staining within days, and starts cracking and peeling within months.

Also the purpose of this is to make your iPad into a laptop hybrid, but the cheapest option currently is the iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard (a whopping $898.00) which is far better spent on a M1 MacBook Air IMO…

With the way iPadOS is, I have settled with the iPad being just that… an iPad, a large portable handheld touch screen device, with the Magic Keyboard your just trying to make the device into something which it just simply isn’t and probably never will be.

Apple could justify the high mark up of the Magic Keyboard if the iPad booted into some form of MacOS light when connected but it doesn’t, so I have settled on using my iPad Pro 11” as a content consumption/reading device, and my Mac is where I go to get real work done now.

That may change if Apple really overhaul iPadOS but with the current state of the iPad software it’s simply a large iPhone to me.

 

[Isamilis]

100% overpriced!

Poor quality material which starts staining within days, and starts cracking and peeling within months.

Is this really based on REAL experience? I have 2 MK, black and white (for my daughter), none of them show any stains, crack or any quality issues (it’s been 1 year). It’s like a tank, thick block of metal, which is the reason it’s heavy.

 

[Systemlord]

Poor quality material which starts staining within days, and starts cracking and peeling within months.

Staining, cracks and peeling? What are you using your Magic Keyboard as a whoopee cushion?

The Magic Keyboard is well-made, thick metal hinges aka built like a tank!

Now as far as being overpriced, perhaps. I thought my Logitech G915 was expensive at $250.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Poor quality material which starts staining within days, and starts cracking and peeling within months.

Quality has not been a problem in my experience. Yeah, the key caps get some shine to them but that’s it. Hinge feels like brand new, edge seams are perfect, no cracks at all. I do not “baby” my gear, it’s seen some pretty rough use & come through it beautifully.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

The only major drawback of MK is its price. Other than that, you will get smooth-sailing (“just work”) experience plus style and practicality. I bought mine early last year and is still functioning perfectly until now (color is black).

*and the lack of fn keys and ESC (lack of fn keys+ the functions that come with it,mute,vol down up ' brightness up down ' media play pause next previous ,DND,

 

[Systemlord]

Keep dreaming, Apple doesn’t want the iPad Pro to be identical to the MacBook Pro, that’s why the lesser models got it and the Pro didn’t. If you want that functionality, you have to get a MacBook Pro.

 

[Ifti]

I actually sold my M2 MacBook Air for the iPad Pro!
I wanted touch sensitivity and the Apple Pencil to use while creating 3D designs etc - makes the process easier.
Guess it all comes down to your use case....

 

[Isengardtom]

I bought mine for 12.9 2018 with a huge deal on amazon.it for 180€. Still don’t think it worth the full price, but it’s a really useful tool that change the way you could use your iPad.

I think you mean the magic Keyboard for say an iMac
the Magic Keyboard case for ipad was released in 2020 only

 

[Isengardtom]

Is this really based on REAL experience? I have 2 MK, black and white (for my daughter), none of them show any stains, crack or any quality issues (it’s been 1 year). It’s like a tank, thick block of metal, which is the reason it’s heavy.

I agree, in my experience it is very well built. Where my white one does get dirty is on the inside where the iPad magnetically connects. I guess that’s probably from eating crisps or something and having the back of the iPad get dirty

as for price I agree it’s very expensive But everyone needs to evaluate if it’s too expensive for them. For my use case it’s worth it. If you don’t plan to use it regularly I feel a 3rd party option or just using a pc or mac desktop keyboard works just as well (or mac laptop keyboard with universal control)

 

[Nhwhazup]

Is this really based on REAL experience? I have 2 MK, black and white (for my daughter), none of them show any stains, crack or any quality issues (it’s been 1 year). It’s like a tank, thick block of metal, which is the reason it’s heavy.

I agree, my white MK still works and looks great. Have had it since the white ones first came out.

 

[stanza.richi]

I think you mean the magic Keyboard for say an iMac
the Magic Keyboard case for ipad was released in 2020 only

The MK for iPad was released in 2020, but I was talking about my use of it with my iPad Pro 2018 model

 

[ericwn]

I would look at this as the keyboard should "hopefully" last forever.
and knowing this is designed specially for the iPod, you will never have a connection problem, as a 3rd party one.

this is the best encouragement I can do!

Forever until a design change makes it incompatible one day. No accessories last forever, especially not if made from such flimsy stuff.

 

[James Godfrey]

Is this really based on REAL experience? I have 2 MK, black and white (for my daughter), none of them show any stains, crack or any quality issues (it’s been 1 year). It’s like a tank, thick block of metal, which is the reason it’s heavy.

Real experience with their other products made from the same material. It doesn’t fair well in the long term unfortunately.

A quick google search of ‘Magic Keyboard wear’ confirms that in the majority of cases within 6 months this expensive case looks awful…

 

[Alex Cai]

The size of the trackpad is way too small compared to a Mac (My hands are small, I use iPhone 13 mini).
The extra charging port is useful (no other keyboards except the logi one uses the 3 dots on the back) I like to see more accessories that take advantage of the 3 dots (Charging stands that work the same way as the MK, a stand that wirelessly charges the iPad via the 3 dots)

 

[sracer]

Purchased the Magic Keyboard and pencil with my new iPad Pro 12.9, but I just cant stomach the price of the keyboard when I look at what it is! Seems massively expensive, no?
It's going back either way since it can be had for cheaper at other non-Apple retailers, but even at half the price, its expensive considering what it is. Yes, I know - Apple tax - but the Apple tax here is extortionately high!

If it seems massively expensive to you then it isn't intended for you. I find it obscenely expensive. It absolutely is NOT for me.

What I'm about to say won't be popular, but it is what I'm seeing...
Apple's primary purpose in changing the design ethos of the iPad was to introduce more expensive accessories. Not only are the iPads themselves more expensive, but the accessories are too. A double-whammy to the wallet for those who want an iPad.

The iPad 9th gen and iPad Mini 5 are the last iPads to have Smart Covers. The 9th gen is the last to support the Apple Smart Keyboard Cover. The MSRP of the Apple Pencil 2 is 50% higher than the Pencil 1.

Accessories are the "hidden" cost of these new iPads. It's one reason why I'm sticking with my Mini 5 and iPad 9.

 

[Matsamoto]

The only major drawback of MK is its price. Other than that, you will get smooth-sailing (“just work”) experience plus style and practicality. I bought mine early last year and is still functioning perfectly until now (color is black).

So one can say that
Keyboard is Magic, price is Magic😉

 

[James Godfrey]

If it seems massively expensive to you then it isn't intended for you. I find it obscenely expensive. It absolutely is NOT for me.

What I'm about to say won't be popular, but it is what I'm seeing...
Apple's primary purpose in changing the design ethos of the iPad was to introduce more expensive accessories. Not only are the iPads themselves more expensive, but the accessories are too. A double-whammy to the wallet for those who want an iPad.

The iPad 9th gen and iPad Mini 5 are the last iPads to have Smart Covers. The 9th gen is the last to support the Apple Smart Keyboard Cover. The MSRP of the Apple Pencil 2 is 50% higher than the Pencil 1.

Accessories are the "hidden" cost of these new iPads. It's one reason why I'm sticking with my Mini 5 and iPad 9.

Yeah 100% the accessories for the iPads are ridiculous and is clearly to make up for the poor iPad sales as of late. Rather than innovating what the iPad can do, they rather just give you a double blow in the pocket.

 

[AJB1971]

There are a lot of copies around which are far more reasonably priced than the official version and the reviews seem quite good. Here are a couple of examples -

(It's the 3:53 mark if it doesn't default to that)