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Apple Smart Keyboard Review: Overview & Price
In this Apple Smart Keyboard review, we give you all of the information you need to make a decision on this device, as well as showcasing where to find a cheap Apple keyboard in the UK.
The Smart Keyboard is a great accessory to anyone who owns an iPad Pro; you can attach the keyboard to the side of your iPad and use it as a laptop.
Not only is the Smart Keyboard a full ‘qwerty’ keyboard, but it also doubles as a pretty stylish case.
However priced at around £120 in the UK, it’s a pretty expensive keyboard!
Here in the UK, the Apple Keyboard sells extremely well, thanks to its usability and how much it benefits those who work from home or simply own a tablet.
Apple Smart Keyboard Review: Design
You may have noticed that on the side of your iPad Pro, there are three small dots; this is a magnetic connector, which allows the Smart Keyboard to connect to it effortlessly.
When testing the connection we found that it’s super strong and even when shaking the iPad whilst its connected does not break the connection, although we definitely do not recommend that you try this with yours.
Image: 精選 好東西 熊老闆
The magnetic dots mean that the keyboard does not need to be charged up, it just needs to be connected via Bluetooth, meaning it’s more reliable and practical.
We love the fact that when you’re transporting the tablet, the keyboard doubles up as a case, keeping your display protected with two strong magnets and a microfibre material.
Apple has done a great job at making the keyboard super lightweight, weighing in at a mere 225g it will not be aching your arms when attached to the iPad.
In addition to its lightweight, the keyboard is also extremely thin, meaning it doesn’t have a bulky feel when carrying the iPad around.
Image: PhoneArena
So despite it being thin it’s actually very stable and rests on a folder triangle base to give you lots of stability, even when resting the keyboard across your legs.
That being said the iPad pro’s display when using the keyboard is quite far back, which is great when sitting upright and typing but isn’t so good if you’re trying to rest it against your workstation to watch YouTube videos.
See Related:
*Apple Pencil Review*
*Apple Airpods 2 Review*
*Apple Airpods Review*
However, there is another angle which allows you to fold the keyboard up and sit it behind the iPad in order to make it stand upright which is a lot better for presentations or watching movies.
Throughout this Apple Smart Keyboard review, we found one of the main benefits to be its practicality, doubling up as a case and a keyboard is great.
Apple Smart Keyboard Review: Performance
The first thing we noticed when we attached the smart keyboard to the iPad was that it drastically increases the amount of display you get to use, as the virtual keyboard is no longer on screen.
This allows much more visibility when writing and looks a lot less cluttered.
Unlike the virtual keyboard built into IOS, you will find arrow keys on the smart keyboard, which makes navigating around certain apps a lot easier.
Another super convenient benefit of using the smart keyboard as opposed to the virtual keyboard is that there is a ton of keyboard shortcuts that you can use, from opening browsers and switching to dark-mode it is so much quicker than manually doing it.
The smart keyboard is surprisingly comfortable and we found we were happy to use it for hours as we did not suffer from any cramps or pains from using the keyboard, there is more than enough space between keys too which gives you a lot of accuracies when writing.
The keyboard is quiet as a mouse too, you will not be able to hear your fingers bashing off the keys like most other keyboards, making working in a library a lot less awkward!
Image: IMediaStores
Another awesome benefit of using the keyboard is that just like on a laptop or computer you can use the ‘command & tab’ buttons to quickly cycle through apps, which is hugely beneficial when having lots of apps loaded up rather than frantically trying to find your target page.
There are some cool shortcuts such as ‘command & home’, which will immediately take you back to your home screen, and ‘command & D’, which will show your toolbar at the bottom of the display.
All of the keys you would expect to find on a regular keyboard are built-in, so it feels extremely familiar and is easy to navigate around your iPad quickly.
The Apple Keyboard is certainly not cheap, however, it does offer great value for money thanks to its practicality and versatility.
If you’re a writer or tend to do a lot of work then the smart keyboard will make your life a lot easier, you can clip it on at any point in a matter of seconds and instantly start typing!
Apple Smart Keyboard Review: Summary
We absolutely loved using the smart keyboard on the iPad Pro and found it a lot easier to navigate around the iPad as it genuinely felt just like a laptop when using the keyboard.
The shortcut options are amazing and we loved how lightweight it is, meaning you can simply put it on at any time without having to carry a bulky keyboard around with you.
We love the fact that there is no battery and therefore it does not need to be charged, simply being attached to the iPad via the three connectors on the side of the device.
A great accessory, as well as the smart keyboard, is the Apple Pencil, this will really transform your iPad Pro into a creative masterpiece.
Also doubling as a case the keyboard is a great accessory for anyone who owns an iPad Pro, although being pretty pricey you do get a keyboard and a case, making it easy to recommend for someone wanting to use their iPad in a similar way to a laptop.
We hope you have enjoyed our Apple Smart Keyboard review and feel free to check out the best place to find a cheap Apple keyboard in the UK at the top of this post.