Apple could be about to further blur the lines between the iPad Pro and the MacBook ranges, thanks to a new Magic Keyboard accessory.
The in-the-know Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman reckons there’ll be a revamped Magic Keyboard to go alongside next year’s expected iPad Pro overhaul.
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Gurman says the changes go beyond the larger trackpad previously reported. He says Apple is plotting a much more premium design with an aluminium top case. That’s the same material Apple uses for MacBook models.
“The new approach will make the accessory feel more like a premium product, with the Mac’s aesthetic,” Gurman writes in his weekly Power On newsletter.
“The switch to aluminum also gives the keyboard a sturdier structure: The older, flimsier version was prone to bending and even tearing at the edges. I’m told that, when closed, the exterior shell of the Magic Keyboard will retain the cover material of the current model.”
Because of the more premium materials being proposed, it may indeed lead to a further price increase atop the already pricey $299/£319.
The current model includes a floating cantilever design, which magnetically connects the companion iPad and allows it to be adjusted to the perfect viewing angle. There’s USB-C support for charging, which enables you to add another accessory to the iPad itself, and it folds into a case to add protection for the iPad when on the move. As well as the iPad Pro, it also supports the 4th and 5th gen iPad Air.
Last week Gurman reported the 2024 models will be the first iPads to receive the OLED displays that have been a fixture on iPhone models since 2017. Apple is also planning to integrate the as-yet-unconfirmed M3 chips designed primarily for MacBook computers, the update says. The current generation iPad Pro runs an M2 chip, so this would be an expected update. The newsletter says Apple could revert to 11-inch and 13-inches, which is a slight increase on the current 12.9 inch model.
