white or black Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (6th generation)

[tim1000]

have there been any updates to the Magic Keyboard? specifically are the all the same does the previous general Magic Keyboard fit on the m2 iPad Air 12 inch? I have an older magic keyboard and want to use it on a new iPad.

 

[Ifti]

No updates that I am aware of.
I purchased my iPad Pro 12.9 just last week. I purchased the pencil and magic keyboard with it. The Magic Keyboard still has 'for 3rd, 4th, and 5th gen iPad Pro' printed on the back of the box, yet it was sold to me alongside the 6th gen. I think they just have some old stock that doesn't have '6th gen' printed on the back of it yet......

 

[tim1000]

with my older magic keyboards I have one white and one black. I have a few marks on the white but the black looks more faded and discolored. any one else have a similar experience?

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I have black, but not old enough to comment on how it wears. The construction materials reminds me of the 2007 black MacBooks. Those didn't hold up well even though they were great laptops.. Hopefully the MKB holds up better

 

[tim1000]

I have black, but not old enough to comment on how it wears. The construction materials reminds me of the 2007 black MacBooks. Those didn't hold up well even though they were great laptops.. Hopefully the MKB holds up better

How long have you had it?

 

[BugeyeSTI]

How long have you had it?

A month. I always put it in a case after I'm done using it and i really take care of my equipment. I've seen some forum posts about the black MKB getting pretty beat up after using it for awhile so I suppose it depends on the user and how well they protect it. Here's a couple of threads on wear:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-is-your-white-magic-keyboard-holding-up.2352948/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/magic-keyboard-overpriced.2375929/

 

[Foghorn leghorn]

When the 2021 came out the MK boards did chance slightly. They were about 1mm thicker I believe. The 2021 and 2022 MK are exactly the same. I have both a black and white one. The black one is 18 months and does show fingerprints BAD and the white one is 1 year and does not show fingerprints nearly as bad. I like both but am OCD about my stuff.

 

[madat42]

From my understanding, the 2021 and 2022 MK specifically for the 12.9" iPP are the same and had been redesigned to accommodate the thicker M1/M2 iPP models. The differences between these and the 2020 MK for 12.9" are in the overall thickness (mentioned above), hinge (new one closes slower to prevent slamming down), trackpad clickiness, and a new white option.

I'm curious if Apple is getting ready to release an even newer updated MK. I'm starting to see less stock and more discounts. I've seen online rumors of the next version: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidp...could-fix-ipads-biggest-flaw/?sh=4155596c6f08

And if they add a function-key row, additional viewing angles/fold flat, plus Pencil storage. I'm there.

 

[Kissmo1980]

I had a black color magic keyboard on my work iPad and then I bought a white version for my personal iPad.

There are some differences between the black and white models.

1 - the White model's backlight kicks in later than on the black version
2 - Trackpad on the White has a slightly different sound - feels more premium
3 - the white one doesn't show so obvious the smudges and it looks way better in terms of finger prints, however, the corners and the sides get dirty easier
4 - white one has more magnets (maybe newer versions of the black keyboard have it too by now)
5 - backlight intensity is quite different - probably due to the Font colors on the keys - and the white one has more light bleed.

 

[Eksoccer99]

I went with black bc I was worried the white would get dirty and seen somewhere, one good scuff against something left a black mark.

 

[Ifti]

I went for white since I don’t like the way the keys get glossy after a short while with he black.

 

[madat42]

Some differences I’ve observed:

• black case shows more dust, dirt, and smudges that the white doesn’t show (unless it’s black smudges).
• white case keyboard is easier to see in the dark without backlighting, but there’s some definite weirdness with the backlight:
  • seems to only turn on when in a completely dark room, else the kb brightness slider is greyed out. The black case can turn on under any lighting condition.
  • when the kb lights do turn on for the white case, unless you’re viewing them from directly above, the backlighting looks horrible. The light doesn’t bleed through the keycaps uniformly because (I suspect) of the dark text on white keys. The black case keycaps have white text on black keys, where the light comes out uniformly.

I’ve gone with the white because of the way it looks and the backlighting issue isn’t a deal breaker for me.

 

[Kahsheh]

I'd do black. I have white for 12.9in and the smudges don't come off. Also, night backlit is pretty much non-existent. Attached is my white one.

I have an 11in black and it's much better for my eyes.