While not nearly as cool as the iPad Pro’s redesigned Magic Keyboard, the new Flex Keyboard for the Microsoft Surface Pro does a trick that Apple should steal: It works as both a wired and a wireless keyboard.
An Apple version would make the iPad even more flexible than it is now, and therefore more useful.
Steal from Microsoft Flex to make iPad Magic Keyboard better
One of the best aspects of the iPad is that turning the tablet into a laptop is so easy. Just magnetically attach the Apple Magic Keyboard or any of the excellent third-party alternatives, and you’re ready to start typing out emails and reports.
However, because the keyboard isn’t built into the computer (as it is with a MacBook), the Magic Keyboard could potentially be used when it’s not touching the iPad. That’s what the Microsoft Surface Pro Flex Keyboard does. It can be typed on while magnetically connected to the tablet, as with the iPad’s Magic Keyboard. But the latest version of the Microsoft Flex adds a new wrinkle: It also can serve as a wireless keyboard.
“Whether you’re working from a cramped airplane seat or need to type with your keyboard in your lap, detach Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen and stay in your flow,” Microsoft says.
Microsoft had to do something like this because (unlike iPad) the Surface Pro is crap for typing on in your lap. Its kickstand digs painfully into your legs. But the general idea is still a good one.
Wireless Magic Keyboard for iPad: What we want
The next version of Apple Magic Keyboard should “borrow” this idea from the new Microsoft Flex keyboard. While the clamshell design Apple created for the PowerBook 100 series back in 1991 became the standard for all laptops because it’s very portable, it comes with a serious drawback.
Placing the computer screen right next to your hands is far from ideal. It’s why we tend to hunch over our notebooks. The display should instead be up near our eye level. An iPad with a wireless Magic Keyboard would let us type where it’s most comfortable while placing the screen up where it’s easier to see.
Plus, such a design would make Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro compatible with the Vision Pro. The AR/VR headset works with Bluetooth keyboards, and a combo keyboard/trackpad you could easily carry with you would make an excellent Vision Pro accessory.
I’m certainly no product designer, but I have a suggestion. The center of balance of Apple’s accessory is above the keyboard. Is it possible to make the keyboard section detachable while leaving the cool cantilevered stand a separate piece?
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
If Apple doesn’t think a detachable wireless tablet keyboard is a good idea, I’d recommend this capability to other makers of iPad keyboard cases. And you don’t have to take my word for it — Microsoft certainly thinks it’s a good idea, too.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
