Apple unveils a $249 Magic Keyboard Folio for the 10th-gen iPad, with a detachable keyboard, 14 function keys, and an adjustable stand, shipping on October 26
9to5MacMichael Potuck
Context & Ripple Effects
The accessory Apple built for its cheapest new iPad is a scaled-down version of the one it built for its most expensive. When Apple introduced the trackpad-equipped Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro in 2020, it positioned laptop-class input as a premium differentiator on $799+ tablets. The $249 Magic Keyboard Folio for the redesigned 10th-gen iPad — detachable keyboard, 14-key function row, adjustable stand, shipping October 26 — brings that same laptop-style kit to a $449 tablet, two tiers down the lineup.
First-order effects
A base-model iPad buyer can now spend $698 ($449 tablet + $249 folio) to get a function-row keyboard and stand, putting the entry iPad's equipped price within reach of Apple's own laptop tier and cannibalizing pressure on the iPad Pro's $299+ Magic Keyboard positioning.
Second-order effects
Third-party keyboard-case makers lose the price umbrella they operated under, since Apple now sells an official folio at $249 for the volume iPad rather than reserving first-party input hardware for the Pro line.
Third-order effects
The pattern that later showed up again in the M4 iPad Pro's function-row Magic Keyboard suggests Apple treats laptop-style input as a lineup-wide standard, not a Pro exclusive — steadily collapsing the distinction between iPad-as-tablet and iPad-as-laptop across price tiers.
The trend: Apple is migrating laptop-class keyboard hardware from its premium iPad Pro tier down to the base iPad, repositioning the whole lineup as a laptop alternative.
I have no idea how the regular iPad keyboard gets an escape key while the much bigger Pro one does not. (Yes, I've remapped Caps Lock.) https://twitter.com/...
@stroughtonsmith
Steve Troughton-Smith on x
Oh neat, the new cheap iPad keyboard comes with function/media keys 👀
@javi
@javi on x
Wanna know why Apple didn't host a keynote today? These product decisions are inexcusable and would've looked silly. They shipped this + other nice new features that aren't on the also new, much more expensive iPad Pro. And it needs this ridiculous dongle: https://www.apple.com/.…
@mgsiegler
M.G. Siegler on x
That said, looks like the new entry iPad has a new Magic Keyboard — with media control keys, which the other Magic Keyboard does not. Weird! https://www.apple.com/...
@dcseifert
Dan Skellington on x
the new magic keyboard folio is basically a clone of the logitech combo touch and countless other tablet keyboards and it costs $250
@parkerortolani
Parker Ortolani on x
The new iPad keyboard has function keys!!!!! https://twitter.com/...
@mattcassinelli
Matthew Cassinelli on x
Oh whoa the new base iPad keyboard is super nice and splits into two parts — you can detach the keys but still have the folio part 👌 I currently have an 11" Pro with two cases because one didn't solve both setups before https://twitter.com/...
@tme_michael
Michael Burkhardt on x
This new Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad 10 is interesting. Just like Logitech Combo Touch, it's $249, so slightly cheaper than full Magic Keyboard https://twitter.com/...
@stevemoser
Steve Moser on x
I wonder if the new Magic Folio keyboard ($249) is a good bit lighter than the Magic Keyboard ($349) since it doesn't need the same hinge.
@jasonaten
Jason Aten on x
@stephenrobles Okay, but can we talk about the Magic Keyboard Folio and how it's the keyboard Apple should have made all along. https://twitter.com/...
@stevemoser
Steve Moser on x
Comparison of the new Magic Folio keyboard (left) for the new iPad vs the existing Magic keyboard for the iPad Pro (right). https://twitter.com/...