Apple Smart Keyboard Folio: iPad Keyboard case for iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Generation) and iPad Air (4th, 5th Generation), Two Viewing Angles, Front Back…

Very easy to use, but material peels and falls apart 🙁

I bought this keyboard folio case two weeks ago, and have mixed feelings. Here’s why.

High points:

Great for ease of use. For those who use their iPad to write a lot, and want easy access to a tangible keyboard, this is handy to have. All you do is flip it open and click the iPad into place on one of the grooves. It will stay put so you can type, touch the screen, or sit more vertical for viewing media. There’s no messing about with origami or elaborate positioning setups. To use the iPad as a tablet, just fold the back over and lay the iPad on top of the keys, nothing will happen accidentally, because the smart connection is not made complete unless the bottom edge of the iPad is sitting in a groove, and the connectors on the back of the iPad meet the connectors on the inside of the back of the keyboard case. Alternatively, you can fold the whole keyboard behind the iPad out of the way, and this also uses a smaller footprintthan laying the iPad over the keys, which means the keys are still half exposed on top. Folding it all the way back does mean that the keys are exposed on the underside, which may seem a bit odd, but again, they won’t do anything in this position.

Portability is second to none. Thanks to the thin structure and fabric keys, this keyboard case manages to be the neatest available for its particular device. The need for Bluetooth and a battery means that any other case with a keyboard built in is bulkier and heavier. For the 11 inch and 12.9 inch iPad Pro, this is the only keyboard case to offer the smart connection, which removes the need for wires or pairing, and it is powered by the iPad, so no more cumbersome setups where the iPad and keyboard are charging separately.
The typing experience is smooth and flawless. Because the keyboard is so incredibly slim, and the keys are fabric, it won’t ever feel the same as typing on a proper laptop or a dedicated keyboard with plastic keys. There is not very far for the keys to press down, so the travel is somewhat limited, but it’s not terrible either. You definitely know you’ve pressed the button. Likewise, it is to be expected that the click of the keys is a bit muffled. Soft keys make for a softer sound, but even so, it’s still obvious that the key has clicked. I like it. I know some will say they want a bright, loud click, and some will say they want a quiet typing experience, and this is too clunky. The controversy is timeless. This keyboard is probably somewhere midway between. the really appealing thing is that no Bluetooth means no more of those sticky signals that cause time lags and repeated keystrokes. When you tell it to type, it types, no questions asked, and I’ve never had a key fail to press yet.

Things to be aware of:
While the case gives front and back protection,, the back cannot be removed, so unlike the previous smart keyboards without the folio, you cannot choose your back cover. The keyboard folio case comes in black only, and while it is possible to pick up a cover to go right over the top of the iPad edges and the back of the keyboard case, these tend to only come in clear or black., leaving not much room for personalisation.
There is no corner or edge protection. The only thing holding the iPad to the cover is the back panel of the cover, where it magnetises to the back of the iPad. There is no wraparound protection to keep it secure if it drops hard. For people who use there iPad in all sorts of extreme situations, and know it will be put through the mill, this one might not be the best option. If it just sits in your office and comes out of your bag from time to time, then the front and back protection should be enough to guard against minor bumps or scrapes.
The keyboard is not backlit. If you touch type this is totally fine, but if you like to look at your keys and you don’t want to wake your room mate, say, then the lack of backlighting may be a bit of an annoyance.
The cosmetics need a bit of work. While the outer material of the second generation keyboard folio case is a pleasant mat finish and, personally I think, lovely to hold compared with the first generation, which felt sticky, and gathered marks and dust, it still gets lines and scores on it fairly easily. I put my iPad down in its keyboard case for about an hour the other day, and didn’t’ notice it was resting on a thin lead I had lying out, so when I picked it up, there was a long impression in the case that still hasn’t’ completely faded even now. The other letdown is that with the first generation keyboard case, after a while a crinkly patch would appear near the corner, one on the back, and one on the front, always in the exact same place. It happened with my first generation 11 inch case, which I sold, but missed having, so bought another, only to have the same thing happen. It also happened with my first generation 12.9 inch case. I had really hoped that with the better surface on the second generation case, this problem would have been resolved, and all seemed well when I unboxed it, beautifully flat on the front and back, with a well-placed Apple logo on the back, in the middle, and it stayed perfect until a week and a half in, with not a lot of heavy use, then the dreaded patch started to appear on the front, where it appeared before, quite faint at first, but has steadily become more and more noticeable, the back is showing signs it may be about to do the same thing, where it did before. It’s a relatively small area out of the whole surface area, but once that crinkly bit in the corner is there, it spoils the look and feel of the entire case. It’s honestly just ugly, not like Apple, who usually are renowned for their smart-looking, quality products, and in fact, if it hadn’t been for this flaw, the keyboard case really would be smart-looking. That’s the one thing that’s letting down my star rating. For something so expensive, with such an Impressive design concept, I’d definitely have expected it to be perfect, or pretty well near perfect on the outside as well. I’ve done some research and a fair few people have had the same experience. Who knows, perhaps you’ll be one of the fortunate few who don’t get any problems like this, but I doubt it.

All told, if cosmetics are important to you, then probably put up with a cheaper option for a year or so, until something more durable is released. If portability and lightness are what matter most, and you’re not too bothered about how it looks, then this one outshines all the other options by a thousand miles, so by all means, go for it.

Super easy to install and connect.
Bought 2 – enjoy very much.

So i am a college student so i am exploring my options and as i am exploring this keyboard i did notice that you would have to press a little firm in order to type what you need. Now that is annoying but at the same time I think that i need to get used to it because i am not so used to writing in this keyboard. Another thing i noticed that when i hit the delete button it doesn’t necessarily work which to me that is a problem but again. What else can i do? I will give it a couple more days and if i don’t like it then i can return it. It also hurts my fingers as i do have to press firmly tho

This is great for using the ipad for work/typing.
Light , simple no need for mouse as the touch/pen is doing the work.
got it in 40% discount do good value for money