Russified keyboard for ipad pro. Seven smartest keyboard cases for iPad Pro

It went on sale under the loud cries of the “top” of Apple that it would become a full-fledged replacement for personal computers, taking over most of their functions. True, without a physical keyboard, the tablet could hardly claim this title even hypothetically.

However, Apple, realizing this, has developed its own vision of the ideal keyboard, calling it the Smart Keyboard. But, unfortunately, the “apple” accessory has not yet reached Russia, and therefore the products of competitors are becoming more preferable. Introducing Logi Create Blacklit Keyboard.

Let's start the review right away with the advantages. In particular, Logitech's solution is a combined case and keyboard hybrid, so you don't have to constantly buckle and unbuckle your device. Also, despite the record-breaking small thickness, the accessory has a fairly clear and clearly distinguishable key travel and, most interestingly, backlighting. This miracle will cost you even $ 19 cheaper than Apple's proprietary keyboard. Paying $150 to the guys at Logitech, you get a device that is much more interesting in its functionality than the MacBook. The latter, by the way, will not be able to boast of either a touch screen or a Touch ID scanner.

Logi Create really resembles a laptop lid in its shape and purpose. Despite the apparent fragility of the design and fabric-like upholstery, the keyboard is assembled very soundly, and the outer material seems to be very practical and durable. In the tradition of iPad cases, Logi Create features built-in magnets that turn the device on and off automatically.

There were also some negative points. In particular, the weight iPad Pro with the keyboard connected, it reaches about one and a half kilograms, which is quite noticeable when carried. Remarkably, even the 13-inch MacBook Air weighs 200 grams less. However, if you remember the weight of the very first iPad, then it becomes a little easier to live with this drawback. Yes, and working directly on your knees is much more convenient - nothing outweighs and does not fall off.

Connects Logi Create to iPad Pro using the latter's built-in magnetic connector. No more Bluetooth connections and degradation of battery life. The magnets are so strong that you can even lift this hybrid design over the edge of the iPad, and the keyboard will remain securely fastened. But, unfortunately, such strength imposes some limitations. So, you will not be able to adjust the angle of the screen as on the same MacBook. The manufacturer has provided for you the “most comfortable position”, which cannot be changed. Perhaps it was possible to come up with a kind of hinge, but then, probably, the design would have turned out to be much heavier and larger.

Since we started comparing the iPad Pro with the MacBook, the absence of a trackpad on external keyboards is definitely striking. Not only Logitech sins with this, but also all other manufacturers. It would seem that who needs a touch panel if there is an excellent touch screen, but, believe me, it is not so easy to retrain yourself. "Hybrid" really resembles a MacBook. This striking similarity is also supported by excellent keys, which, apparently, were directly copied from the "Makovsky". They are amazingly comfortable and, as mentioned above, have a built-in backlight with several lighting gradations. Working in the dark now makes more sense than before.

Logi Create was developed with the MacBook, OS X, and iOS in mind. A number of function keys will make your life much easier, replacing some of the on-screen gestures and actions. And a prominently located home button will minimize the app and throw you to the desktop. Very simple and at the same time extremely convenient. Also, the manufacturer did not fail to install separate keys to lock the head unit, call the Spotlight search, and even launch a sub-keyboard with Emoji emoticons.

The color palette that comes with the keyboard is quite rich: red, white, blue, black, charcoal gray and gold. The most attractive look to the author seemed to be a sample in red, which goes wonderfully with the slate-gray iPad.

Logi Create turned out to be quite a worthy development, perfectly complementing the functionality of the iPad Pro. Despite a number of significant shortcomings, the brainchild of Logitech can be called the most advantageous option compared to Apple's Smart Keyboard. The latter, by the way, will cost you a little more. You can buy a keyboard case on the official website of the company.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro needs just as much protection as the iPhone or classic iPads. In addition, a sufficient number of ways have now come up to supply the giant with armor and turn it into a typewriter due to an external keyboard. Therefore, we rolled up our sleeves and collected seven of the highest quality iPad Pro keyboard cases, among which both combined and separate specimens were found.

Apple Smart Keyboard

Apple Smart Keyboard- the first branded keyboard-case, created by the Cupertino team specifically for a specific gadget. When folded, it resembles the time-tested Smart Cover with its velvety microfiber. Only a magnetic chute designed to accommodate a tablet gives out a smart keyboard. The layout of the keys resembles that of a MacBook, but with the upper row of function buttons cut off, that is, you will get a full-fledged printing unit. The key travel, however, is smaller, however, there are no complaints.

The most important feature of the Apple Smart Keyboard is the rejection of Bluetooth due to the physical, one might say, iron connection through the Smart Connector - three points for docking devices. No pairing, no additional power consumption, no breaks. This moment strikingly distinguishes the apple accessory from some competitors.

In the minuses, you can write down the unsightly appearance when folded and, of course, the price. You will have to pay 13,290 rubles ($169) for the Apple Smart Keyboard.

Razer Mechanical Keyboard Case

Razer Mechanical Keyboard Case- the latest accessory in the line. He became famous for the fact that, firstly, the guys from Razer themselves got behind the wheel, secondly, the ability to turn a large iPad Pro into a full-fledged laptop, and, thirdly, mechanical keyboard with warm lamp key travel and built-in backlight.

The case is made of polycarbonate, it looks very, very protected. The mechanical stand provides a stable position on the table, and it folds very solidly - with the Razer Mechanical Keyboard Case, it's not a shame to walk under your arm.

We think that those who cannot imagine life without high-speed printing have already run to place an order. This step is easy to understand, because the keyboard and the case itself look just gorgeous! But we are confused by one juicy moment - this is a wireless Bluetooth connection. Due to intermittent failures, many users have developed allergies. If Razer did everything qualitatively, there are no questions. Power consumption, by the way, is adequate: 10 hours with the backlight at maximum brightness and 600 hours with the lights off.

Zagg Slim Book

Price per Zagg Slim Book is $ 140, and the connection with the tablet is via Bluetooth. Are you already turning around and leaving? Do not hurry. The keyboard case continues the tradition of the Transformer line from ASUS and allows you to use the iPad Pro in four ways: a tablet; keyboard; book and video. Zagg Slim Book adapts flexibly to the needs of the user, is easy to detach and carry. In the combined form, the device resembles a MacBook Pro - it only displays the inscription ZAGG. The backlighting of the keys, we think you already noticed.

Logitech K780

Let's be honest: good keyboard cases for the iPad Pro are over, only enchanting Chinese designs remain. Therefore, in order not to spoil the "Seven Most" section, we decided to supplement the article with separate keyboards and covers. Logitech K780- a universal novelty that supports a bunch of devices and allows you to quickly switch between them thanks to the Easy-Switch button. The connection, of course, goes via Bluetooth (what kind of Smart Connector can be here?). For mobile devices a rubber stand is provided - 12.9 ″ iPad Pro fits like a glove.

The keyboard is able to work 24 months from one pair of AAA batteries, it can switch to sleep mode, has a power button and a charge indicator. Stylistically, the device is quite modest, but it seems that typing on it is a pleasure.

Keyboard

Completing the selection of "Seven Most" with some exotic copy is a good tradition of AppStudio. For some reason, accessory manufacturers are not too fond of the Smart Connector or the large iPad Pro in general, but there are gadgets that can please without it. Collapsible and comfortable keyboard TextBlade just one of them. With the help of magnetic fasteners, it quickly turns into a sandwich and stows away in a pocket/bag/backpack/case.

TextBlade is a kind of ergonomic split keyboard, the most efficient for typing. With a modest keystroke, the characters are driven in perfectly, the fingers lie as they should, and the stand ensures the correct position of the iPhone, iPad or any other device, but there can be problems with piling up a large iPad Pro.

You will have to pay as much as $ 99 for pleasure, and then spend money on engraving. Either way, it will be worth it. Proof - .

This is my personal accessory, which I have been using for more than a month and a half, respectively, the story is about the living experience of operation, and not an essay on the topic “ how I fiddled with the test device for three days". The thing is unusual and there is something to compare. It will be interesting.

Delivery Adventure

The keyboard was ordered before the new year at the busiest time, when the accessory was available in limited quantities only in the United States. Moreover, even in the Apple Store it was problematic to buy it through the efforts of brisk dealers. In general, I found myself a copy on Amazon from those same resellers who sent only to the USA. Given the fact that I myself am from Ukraine, sending directly from Amazon in any case was not suitable, even if there was one. It's all about the duty free limit in my country €150 . Everything that is more expensive is at best subject to a 30% tax, at worst it is sent back, often without the knowledge of the addressee. For example, this is what DHL does - there have been precedents.

In the past, I had a positive experience with Parcel, when additional services were required in addition to the delivery of goods. Then I made a large combined package (the duty-free limit was also higher), which, among other things, included the road ordered from Amazon. But in the end it turned out not to be needed, as it was provided for review by the customer and ultimately came out cheaper than purchased from the USA. Through the parcel, I managed to return the backpack back to Amazon without any problems and get my money back.

This time there was a problem of a different nature. It was necessary to remove the Amazon invoice and put in a new one. The amount indicated in the first exceeded the duty-free limit (the reseller did his best). Even the real American price from Apple is a couple of euros higher. In general, in order to get a keyboard without unnecessary hassle, it was necessary to evaluate it a little cheaper. What Parcel did, investing an invoice with the amount of $159.

It's not even that I'm sorry to pay 30% of the cost. Apple Smart Keyboard in conjunction with - this is a small personal dream from the moment of the announcement (yes, I am such a pervert and a lover of big and strange gadgets), so I was ready for financial expenses. But besides them, it is quite possible that one would have to spend a lot of time and effort on a trip to Kyiv in order to arrange everything and pay on the spot. It's so strange with us, it happens, mail works. And this is at best. At worst, the package would simply be returned back, and I would be left without the coveted gadget.

Buy from local comrades without all these adventures and complexities? A dream is a dream, but I still wasn't ready to shell out $350 for a keyboard.

Whatever it was, but everything worked out. The customs officers cheerfully gutted the parcel, were satisfied with the invoice of the Parcel, and the accessory arrived to me without any hassle.

Customs didn't bother repackaging the keyboard in bubble wrap, but simply stuffed it into a white bag. Fortunately, the accessory was not damaged on the way from Kyiv to Chernihiv, even the original Apple box was without a single dent. Either the post office began to carefully work with parcels, or the thick box of the "Parcel" with air bags helped.

Separately, I want to pay attention to the packaging: a mighty box, a solid layer of bubble wrap, air seals - the package will withstand the attack of any vandalist loader. Also a bonus in the form of jelly sweets :).

Why does a tablet need a hardware keyboard?

Before I proceed directly to the review of the accessory and my impressions of it, I want to philosophize a little on the topic. Moreover, I have a lot of experience with this kind of devices and have something to talk about.

Good question, especially when it comes to the huge iPad Pro. It is even more interesting for the owner, which I am. In the past - in the case of - for me, a combination of a tablet with a keyboard was used as a typewriter on the road - a kind of ultra-compact laptop replacement:

A lot of articles were typed in this mode on trains, planes, at a party, and at home too, when it was necessary to isolate oneself from everything. The tablet has this - you turn on the mode " Do not disturb” and you are left face to face with the text. The last point is also relevant for the iPad Pro. And specifically, the Apple Smart Keyboard is perfect tablet stand when it is used in desktop and lap content consumption mode. I will tell you more about this below.

Finally, it is worth noting that it is much more convenient to consume content on a tablet than on a laptop, even if the device is on the table. We are talking about tablet software, which is beautiful on iOS. , applications to work in social networks, surfing the web using a touch screen, reading books, . Beautiful and comfortable - you quickly get used to all this.

In the process of fascinating interaction with the tablet, you answer letters, post different things on social networks, which is much more efficient to do with a hardware keyboard than with an on-screen one. Although I got used to working with the latter, holding the tablet in portrait orientation and typing with my thumbs. But that's a completely different story. Let's get back to Smart Keyboard.

Do it differently

I am sure that some of the readers had an idea, they say, Roma is fanboying again and attributes some kind of cosmic innovations to Apple, while everything was invented before her. If it's about Microsoft Touch Cover and Type cover, presented with the Surface tablet yet, the Cupertino company really borrowed one detail - the way the accessory is connected through the contact pad. The rest of the Smart Keyboard is unique.

So, the Microsoft Touch Cover keyboard is actually a touch pad, there is no mechanism and tactile feedback from pressing the buttons. Microsoft Type Cover, on the other hand, is an almost standard mobile keyboard, made according to the principle and similarity with a scissor key mechanism. Yes, and the thickness is similar - 7 mm versus 4 mm for the Smart Keyboard. The latter, by the way, is only 1 mm thicker than the Touch Cover, but in terms of response it is very close to devices with the above-mentioned scissor key mechanism. Which is actually not in the Apple keyboard.

In the design of a branded accessory, in principle, everything is different from others. As a spring (that is, instead of a scissor mechanism or "butterfly"), special fabric, laser cut for each key. This made it possible to "kill" three birds with one stone: save on thickness, simplify the design and make it more reliable. It also acts as an outer coating and protects the keyboard from splashes of water.

Among other pluses, it is worth noting the rough surface of the keyboard that is pleasant to the touch: it is not easily soiled, does not collect grease and dust, and is very easy to clean. In general, in terms of tactile sensations, this is the most pleasant keyboard of all that I have dealt with. Even better than the one in the MacBook 12 and other Apple laptops. There, the plastic keys quickly become covered with grease, become slippery, and have to be wiped from time to time.

Another innovation is the use instead of wires conductive fabric. That is, you can not be afraid to push through some buttons, passing the contact, or break the wires during frequent bends of the cover. Thus, the latter consists of three layers:

• External made of polyurethane- it is exactly the same as in Smart Cover, without frills. Back in 2011, this material proved its suitability in Apple accessories. Yes, it gets dirty, but it is also easily cleaned of excess.
• Microfiber inner layer- soft, pleasant to the touch, protects the display from various bad things.
• And between these layers is conductive fabric.

Origami

At first glance, the design of the Apple Smart Keyboard is not much different from the Smart Cover, except that a module with a keyboard has been added. All the same two options for installing the tablet: as a photo frame and for printing. But there are nuances.

It was important to make the structure stable and monolithic. After all, the keyboard cover weighs only 335 g with a 13-inch tablet weighing more than 700 g and very impressive dimensions. Try to keep such a "sail" in the right position. For example, at Microsoft, the design of keyboard covers turned out to be not very stable in any conditions, except for their use on the table. In the case of the Smart Keyboard, everything is exactly the opposite.

In print mode, the tablet is almost in the center of the design. Its slope and balance are calculated so that the device remains stable even when used on your lap.

The second option - the photo album or TV mode - turned out to be no less stable. Not for the knees, of course, but on the table the tablet is much more reliable than the 10-inch counterparts in a similar position with the Smart Cover.

When folded, the Smart Keyboard turns into a cover. The keyboard in this mode is folded inward and only a microfiber surface adjoins the display. Outside, the keyboard part protrudes a little, but it is completely uncritical.

You can literally fold the keyboard or set it to its working position in one movement within a couple of seconds. You get used to it very quickly and in the future you do it automatically.

Operating experience

This is where I philosophize on the topic of why the Apple Smart Keyboard is the best keyboard for the iPad Pro.

When I was planning to buy such an accessory, I was tormented by the choice: whether to take or a branded piece. Yes, it was the Smart Keyboard that I originally dreamed of, but when there is a choice, doubts begin. For less money, the novelty from Logitech offered both key backlighting, a more convenient cursor control unit, and a number of additional buttons for controlling iOS (player, brightness, Home, etc.).

But do I need another compact laptop if available? No, not needed. Because I often use the tablet while lying on the couch and in this case the keyboard is superfluous. And Logitech CREATE turns the iPad Pro into a laptop, and you can’t immediately remove the gadget from the accessory. You can't put it back in right away either. There are no such problems with the Smart Keyboard - you can detach and attach the cover in one motion, just like the Smart Cover.

In addition, the Smart Keyboard practically does not affect the dimensions of the tablet - it adds a little to the thickness, but not as much as Logitech CREATE. In general, having savored the thoughts described above, I took a branded accessory and do not regret it at all.

Logitech CREATE in all its monstrous glory. Yes, the Retina MacBook Pro 13" is thinner than the iPad Pro with Logitech CREATE included

I will go directly to operating experience.

The design is held on magnets, and very firmly - the keyboard hangs on the iPad and does not fall off if it is lifted into the air. It is important to pay attention to the pad that is magnetized to the tablet. It is made of soft, but still plastic. That is, if a hard grain of sand gets between the tablet and the pad, you can scratch the edge of the iPad Pro. I've somehow managed to put a small "Kotska". So keep an eye on the contact pad and wipe it from time to time.

The buttons are slightly smaller than on the MacBook 12 and have slightly more travel. But not as big as other MacBook models. It turns out something average in terms of printing experience. A distinct click is felt, but the sound is more muffled than in laptops. By the way, the keyboard is quite quiet. Not silent, but quieter than Logitech notebook and keyboard covers.

Apple Smart Keyboard vs. Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

The hardness of pressing is calculated perfectly, reminiscent of that in keyboards with a scissor mechanism. It’s hard to believe that this was done only with the help of the upper fabric layer and without any additional springs and tricks. The only caveat is that the “up” and “down” arrows are pressed rather tightly. Apparently, due to the fact that the buttons themselves are too small and the stiffness of the fabric for such a small pressing area turned out to be too big.

And, yes, the cursor control buttons will take some getting used to. Due to the fact that the side arrows are located a little further from the pair of keys in the center than on the MacBook 12 keyboard, this block is a little more convenient, but it would be better if the side arrows were the same size as the up / down. That is, the classic format, as in the keyboard of the MacBook Air and Pro.

The tilt of the tablet in print mode is ideal for working at your desk or on your lap. The same mode is the most convenient for content consumption in the mentioned conditions. I often watch videos and surf social networks while sitting in a chair - the iPad Pro is monolithic:

In the iOS settings (" General → Keyboard”), there is a separate item for the physical keyboard, where you can select the layout. I use " Russian PC”, just like in OS X. I’ve been used to this since the early days of working with Mac.

Just a good reason to remember the lack of Russian letters on the Apple Smart Keyboard. Even in the Russian Federation, it is sold in the American layout. As far as I know, our Kulibins have already learned how to accurately apply Russian letters, but, as in the case of engraving American MacBooks, the result does not look very good. So to work with the gadget you have to learn 10-finger touch typing. A very useful skill, believe me. I type fast enough with two fingers (about 300 characters per minute) and hardly look at the keyboard, which was an obstacle to mastering the 10-finger method. But the acquisition of Smart Keyboard was a good reason to do self-development in this direction.

By the way, this is one of my ways - to put yourself in conditions when you just need to do it and that's it, without options. At the moment, I have completed 65 exercises from the course "" and typed this entire article on the Smart Keyboard using the blind 10-finger method.

Another big plus of using a hardware keyboard is the support hot keys. On this topic was - I recommend to study and I will not focus on this issue. I will only highlight the most important points.

To view hotkeys for a specific application, just hold down on the keyboard cmd.

To take this screenshot, I had to press cmd with my nose, otherwise I could not reach the Home and tablet power buttons :)

All known OS X commands for cursor control and text selection work. The hotkey for switching between applications is similar - through cmd+tab(IOS 9 feature). And then you can select the desired application with the cursor keys. And the switching option itself began to work more stable, earlier it often just turned off - you press cmd + tab and nothing happens. Now this also happened a couple of times, but it happens many times less often. It is treated by disconnecting and connecting the keyboard.

Language switch by pressing the button at the bottom left. The one with the globe icon. Also, the standard combination from OS X El Capitan works - ctrl+space. Moreover, Apple also “fixed” it with the keyboard update mentioned above - the layout itself no longer jumps back to Russian if you immediately start typing after pressing the key combination.

Another useful hotkey for iOS only is cmd+shift+H. It duplicates a single button press Home, that is, returns to the desktop from any application. But double-clicking on "H" while holding cmd + shift does not work anymore, and you can't get into the multitasking menu in this way. I hope that in the future this moment will be implemented, it is logical.

I really like the ability to scroll web pages with the up and down keyboard arrows - it is often more comfortable than dragging your finger to the screen.

I would like to express my enthusiasm for Smart Connector- it is much more convenient to work with it than with Bluetooth, as I can judge from my past experience with keyboard covers. It happened that they were lost or for no reason jumped out screen keyboard. And the biggest pain is when you take a tablet without a keyboard to lie on the couch, try to reply to a tweet, and the on-screen keyboard does not appear. I have to turn off Bluetooth in the tablet - an extra gesture. And with it, the music is cut off, broadcast to the BT-column.

Another option is to physically turn off the external keyboard with the power lever. But either I forgot to do it, or I simply didn’t want to, because sometimes the accessory started acting up after that, and I had to create a Bluetooth pair again.

Well, power is another expense of time or money (the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air 2 runs on a pair of button batteries). Maybe not often, but still. The Smart Keyboard, on the other hand, is powered by the iPad and, judging by experience, does not drain the tablet very much. This Smart Connector seems to be a trifle, but during operation such a trifle is very clearly felt in a positive light.

The best keyboard for iPad Pro

I don’t impose my opinion on anyone, but from the experience of using the Apple Smart Keyboard, I can safely call it the best keyboard for the iPad Pro. It doesn't increase the dimensions of the tablet, it can be unfastened and fastened instantly, very stable in any conditions, an ideal stand for content consumption, and even protected from water.

Smart Keyboard does not try to make a laptop out of iPad Pro, but only expands the capabilities of the tablet to a full-fledged typewriter. More is not needed. A tablet is a tablet, a laptop is a laptop.

Microsoft has experience in turning a tablet into a laptop even two. This and . Good devices, great for a very small category of users, but they are completely niche products. Not fish or meat. The adaptation to the touch interface in Windows is too weak and there is little suitable “tiled” software.

I hope in the future there will be worthy hybrids that work equally well in tablet and laptop mode, but for now, specialized devices rule. And in the case of the iPad, it is important to understand that a laptop will not work out of it with all the desire. I understand this and Apple understands this, which is clearly demonstrated by the Smart Keyboard with its original features.

(5.00 out of 5 rated: 1 )

An interesting accessory for the iPad Pro - unlike other manufacturers of portable keyboards, which often adapt ordinary accessories to tablets, Apple has created a gadget anew and only for the iPad Pro.

Design, construction

The most correct way to test this device is to write a review of the keyboard directly on the keyboard, which is what I'm doing now. I note that in Russia, tablet owners almost never use such accessories with tablets, at least in real life I have seen such people once or twice. In other countries, and especially in the US, third-party keyboards are very popular. People on the road answer letters, work with documents, write books - in general, they do a lot of very different things. This is surprising, especially at first, but the answer is simple - the tablet takes up a minimum of space, works for a long time, plus practical Americans often want to get the most out of the purchased gadget. Which is quite understandable. If you follow my thought, you will understand why Apple decided to create such a device as the iPad Pro at all. In corporate America, he found a place, on the one hand, it is an accessory for creativity and the creative class, on the other hand, an essential accessory for a middle manager. Why not a laptop? Well, many people like to work with a mobile OS more and there are no special tasks that require special programs. For some reason, it often seems to people that working with mail, correspondence, calls, parsing and correcting documents is some kind of fictional use case and there is no such thing in real life. How, yeah. For me personally, correspondence and solving various issues takes at least an hour a day, and the iPad, even Pro, even regular, even with a physical keyboard, even without it, always comes in handy, helps in everyday activities. Yes, I agree with those who stigmatize the Pro as a device from the series “would have done without it” - I easily agree with this, but I myself will not return to the Air. The company's niche devices like the iPhone 6 Plus, MacBook or iPad Pro are aimed at a limited audience, but it is always there and happy with its toys that help to live and create. In addition, someone who, and the gentlemen at Apple, can definitely afford the most daring experiments - why not? It turns out well.

I note that before I got the described keyboard, I used (tried to use) the good old set of the Apple wireless keyboard and the Incase Origami accessory. I have been recommending it to all iPad owners for a long time, a case with a keyboard stand, you can put a tablet there and work - but the Pro has one caveat, for some reason switching languages ​​​​using the usual keyboard shortcut does not work. Until I figured out the problem, if you figured it out, please write how to solve it. The keyboard and stand can be seen in the photo, this is, let's say, the best budget set for the iPad Pro, the keyboard will serve you with other devices. True, it will have to be worn separately, but it does not matter.

Now let's look at the keyboard for Pro. At first I’ll tell you about the device, I ask you to forgive me for using official data, but it will be more correct this way. The keyboard does not require any manipulations with Bluetooth, it connects to the magnetic connector on the end of the iPad. I must say right away that it sits very tightly in place, you can print on your knees or on unstable surfaces. It is immediately clear that during the development they paid attention to this, thought about those who work in flight, on small tables and in other strange places. When folded, the keyboard turns into a cover and does not take up much space, although the tablet becomes noticeably heavier. Naturally, you can use the accessory as a stand for watching movies. The thing turned out to be unpretentious, special attention was paid to protection from an aggressive environment. If you look at the buttons, you will see that there are no gaps here - that is, you can spill coffee or something else, then clean the accessory and forget about the incident.

Now the official data, plus a little from myself:

• The top layer of the keyboard is made of a special durable laser-cut fabric that follows the shape of the keys. The fabric provides a spring tension to the buttons, eliminating the need for traditional mechanisms.
• The thickness of the keyboard is 4 mm, while the buttons have excellent travel. There is no feeling that you got into the country of Lilliputians, took away a laptop from one of them and try to work. There are decent places for hands, although I periodically press the screen with the fingers of my left hand, everything is fine with the right hand, I never reached the screen.
• The keyboard has 64 keys, one layout, QWERTY, there are no special options for any country yet - although our craftsmen have already got the hang of engraving without damaging the fabric. I have a negative attitude towards such experiments and I advise you to learn to type blindly, such a skill will always come in handy, and you will be able to work with QWERTY, at least with anything.
• The keyboard surface consists of three unique materials, the top layer is polyurethane, the bottom layer is microfiber - a soft material that cleans and protects the screen (I want to believe). The middle layer is made of a new conductive material, it is responsible for transmitting signals between the keyboard and the tablet. An interesting approach, not at all similar to the experience of other manufacturers of similar accessories. Usually, after all, how about, but let's take a regular keyboard and remake it a bit for a tablet, make it smaller, add Bluetooth, well, maybe add a stand or something else. It usually turns out awful. Another thing is when an accessory is created from scratch, from nothing - and it is intended for one device, and not for all.
• The keyboard sits securely on the table, does not move from side to side, the ports are open - you can charge, connect an audio cable and listen to music. Please note that here they sacrificed the "laptop" buttons for controlling playback and adjusting the sound, in general, fair reasoning: the screen is touch-sensitive, switching between applications is fast, the buttons on the end are available - there is nothing to load the keyboard.

Finally, the main feeling - done sensibly. Connected - you can immediately start working. Although we must once again make a reservation about the skill of blind input, but this is nothing, you can spend a couple of weeks on training, and everything will work out - without engraving. In addition, any third-party engraving (non-Apple) looks disgusting.

In work

Here I would like to draw your attention to several points. Firstly, in the settings (General - Keyboards - Physical keyboard), I personally chose Russian-PC, over the years of using "poppies" it is more familiar to me. Secondly, if you plan to use the keyboard, you should remove the emoji layout, it will interfere when switching languages. Thirdly, switching the language here is not through cmd + space, but with the help of special key in the corner on the left, it works quickly and efficiently, the habit appears after ten minutes of typing. Finally, all keyboard shortcuts work as expected.

Actually, I did not encounter any problems when typing, I liked working. Of course, it's not as convenient as a MacBook Pro keyboard, but it's quite possible to work on the road or somewhere in the city - and what do I mean by work? Let's say I can write an article with an iPad Pro and this keyboard, reply to mail, post a blog post, see what's happening on social networks and add posts there, then fold the keyboard and go on holding the tablet under my arm.

findings

In retail, the keyboard costs 13,290 rubles, the accessory turned out to be durable and extremely attractive to its audience - no problems with connection, feeling like from a miniature laptop, no special size restrictions. Yes, you need to master blind input - if you haven’t mastered it yet, you should do it, the skill is really necessary. A good and useful thing for iPad Pro owners, I recommend buying it right away with the tablet if you are purchasing a device just for the usage scenarios described above - for example, raking mail in any conditions.

Can you turn your tablet into a laptop?

At the presentation of the iPad Pro, along with the tablet itself, two key accessories for it were also presented: the Apple Pencil stylus and the Smart Keyboard cover. We told you about the Apple Pencil in the iPad Pro review. Now we have the opportunity to get acquainted with the keyboard. For some unknown reason, it went on official sale in Russia much later than the tablet itself - only in the new year (whereas the tablet was available back in November). In addition, both in Russia and in other countries, the keyboard is sold without the letters of the national language. That is, in the case of Russia, we are talking about the absence of the Cyrillic alphabet. Nevertheless, the product is available and not without interest. Therefore, it's time to study it in detail.

To be honest, the very idea of ​​an iPad Pro keyboard caused some skepticism. It seemed that Apple could come up with such an unusual thing here and how much does it fit with the philosophy of the Cupertino company, which prefers to very clearly define the functionality of the device and almost never releases “crutches” for them?

It's no secret that there are many third-party accessories for the regular iPad, including keyboards of various types. Apple has never released such things. And the second doubt was connected with this fact: how necessary it is in principle - a keyboard for the iPad Pro. Third-party manufacturers, of course, strive to satisfy even the very specific needs of iPad users, offering accessories for every taste. But in the case of Apple's branded accessory, we are clearly talking about a much wider audience.

We will try to figure out how successful this solution turned out to be and how justified its considerable price ($170 in the US and 13,290 rubles here).

Equipment

The keyboard comes in a traditional white box with an image of an accessory.

In addition to the device itself, only a set of information leaflets is included in the kit.

Strictly speaking, the keyboard does not require any chargers or other auxiliary things, so it's even hard to imagine what else could be here.

Design

When closed, the Smart Keyboard looks like a twin of the Smart Cover. We also told you about the Smart Cover for iPad Pro, and in general it is one of the most famous accessories for the iPad line. The idea behind the Smart Keyboard is that it replaces the Smart Cover, and of course offers features that the cover doesn't have.

The material of the outer and inner surfaces of the closed Smart Keyboard is identical to the Smart Cover. It is very pleasant to the touch polyurethane and velvety microfiber.

Smart Keyboard connects to iPad Pro using a proprietary three-pin connector made on iPad Pro specifically for Smart keyboard.

In the photo below - Smart Cover (left) and Smart Keyboard (right). Here you can notice the visual difference between the Smart Keyboard and the Smart Cover: because of the keyboard, part of the Smart Keyboard is thicker than the Smart Cover.

But, of course, the main difference becomes apparent when you turn the Smart Keyboard over and open it completely. Here we see the keyboard itself, and above it is a magnetic chute for installing the tablet.

You may notice that the keyboard itself takes up about a quarter of the area of ​​the Smart Keyboard. At first glance, this is not much, but in fact, we have an almost full-fledged Mac keyboard.

Keyboard layout

Layout - as close as possible to the usual layout of the MacBook or iMac / Mac Pro / Mac mini (Apple Keyboard) keyboards. Below are photos of the Apple Keyboard and Smart Keyboard (ignore the proportions - the Smart Keyboard is actually a tad longer than the Keyboard, so the keys aren't that much smaller).

As we can see, in terms of layout, the five rows of Smart Keyboard keys are absolutely identical to the bottom five rows of the Keyboard. There is no top row of function keys on the Smart Keyboard, but iOS does not need it. Otherwise, the only difference is the layout switch key in the lower left corner instead of the Fn key. This is unaccustomed to getting in the way, because in OS X we are used to switching the layout with the Command + Spacebar combination, but here you just need to press the key with the globe icon (it is most convenient to do this with the little finger of your left hand).

It is very important that many familiar combinations work: for example, Cmd + C - copy, Command + V - paste, Ctrl + Shift + hyphen - em dash ... But Command + Shift + 3 does not work to take a screenshot and some other commands, not related to typing.

Keyboard Ergonomics

The weakest point of most of these devices is the lack of tangible key travel, their too small size and insufficient distance between the keys. Often, because of these three features, touch typing on such a keyboard is almost impossible, even if the layout is completely identical to the usual one.

Fortunately, the Smart Keyboard has all these options in order. Of course, the size of the keys is slightly smaller than that of a full-fledged keyboard: 14 mm horizontally versus the usual 16 mm. But this is compensated by a sufficient distance between the keys, due to which there are almost no erroneous hits when typing blindly. Excellent result!

As for the key travel, it is clear, moderately resilient and, as far as possible in such conditions, even quite high. There is even a click sound when typing fast (not particularly annoying). In general, the keyboard is really pleasant to type on (despite the objective disadvantages compared to full-fledged desktop keyboards).

Let's note one more detail: the surface of the keys and the surface surrounding them is rough and grainy. And in this case this seems to be a very correct decision, since such a surface does not collect fingerprints at all, is not damaged in any way (well, only if it is specially scratched) and does not slip.

On top of that, the keyboard is waterproof, so you can safely spill coffee or tea on it, and then wash it under water. There are simply no gaps through which water could penetrate inside. Unless interaction with moisture will not be very useful for microfiber. But if you spill coffee on the keyboard while typing, the microfiber cover won't get wet anyway.

Using Smart Keyboard as a cover

As we have already noted, the design of the Smart Keyboard was deliberately as close as possible to the design of the Smart Cover. Indeed, Smart Keyboard can replace Smart Cover in almost everything. With the Smart Keyboard, the tablet can be placed in one of two positions. The first is for printing.

In this position, the bottom of the tablet, to which the Smart Keyboard spine is connected, is installed in the magnetic groove, firmly fixing in it. And at the back, the structure is supported by three free sections of the Smart Keyboard.

The second position is ideal for reading or viewing content.

In this case, the keyboard unit is at the back, being pressed with the back to the “back” of the tablet.

Of course, all sections can be folded back, completely covering the “back” of the tablet, or you can close the screen with them. It will look like this.

Of course, the design turns out to be thicker than in the case of the Smart Cover, but in practice it almost never gets in the way and does not take up much more space in the bag than the iPad Pro in the Smart Cover. At the same time, when we open the Smart Keyboard on the screen, the tablet wakes up, just like when working with Smart Cover.

The only way to use the Smart Cover that is not available in the case of the Smart Keyboard is like the one in the photo below.

But in fact, he is not needed here. After all, in the absence of a keyboard, such an iPad installation is useful just for the possibility of convenient typing on a virtual keyboard. And if we have a physical keyboard, why type on a virtual one?

Settings and additional features

Considering the fact that the Smart Keyboard turns the iPad Pro into a kind of laptop, it would be logical to expect some special settings for this accessory. But here Apple was true to its minimalism.

Everything related to Smart Keyboard settings is located at Settings / General / Keyboards / Physical keyboard. And this is just a selection of available layouts. Moreover, this menu subsection appears only when the tablet is set on the Smart Keyboard in the print position. If the Smart Keyboard simply closes the tablet as a cover, then there is no subsection.

Another thing is that for the physical keyboard, of course, those settings that are for the virtual keyboard also work. And here we highly recommend that you go to the "Keyboards" subsection and delete the emoji keyboard, which, it turns out, is the third one (after Russian and English). In general, iPad owners should do this anyway (well, unless you love to chat with emoticons :)), but when using the Smart Keyboard, the presence of a third keyboard (it doesn’t matter, emoji or any other) significantly slows down typing. Because then when you press the language switch key, we see this picture.

Therefore, to switch from Russian to English, you also need to click on the screen, selecting the desired keyboard from the three. Obviously, this is terribly inconvenient (at least if you regularly need to switch between Russian and English layouts). If there are only two keyboards, then this miniature menu does not even appear, but the languages ​​\u200b\u200bswitch immediately occurs, similar to what is done in iOS by pressing Command + space.

So, this completes the Smart Keyboard settings. In fact, to work with the keyboard, simply connect it to the iPad Pro and set the tablet to print mode (that is, with the keyboard facing you). And that's it. But there is more hidden opportunities. And these are the various keyboard shortcuts that we can find out about for a particular application by pressing and holding Command. For example, here is what opens in the browser.

And here it is on the home screen.

Curiously, this option even works in some third-party applications. For example, in Microsoft Word.

Of course, we were interested in how well the Smart Keyboard would work in Parallels Access, with which you can remotely connect to your MacBook and work on your iPad Pro in an OS X environment. As it turned out, there are no obstacles here, except for the fact that Parallels Access is still not properly optimized for the iPad Pro (this is manifested in the screen resolution, as well as in some glitches). That is, if the program is correctly launched through Parallels Access, then the physical keyboard will also work normally. Up to the point that using Command + Shift + 4 you can take a screenshot (and it will be saved on the MacBook), and the layout can be switched with the globe key.

Impressions from use and conclusions

We've been using the Smart Keyboard with an iPad Pro for about two weeks. At first glance, this is an optional accessory, especially if you have a MacBook Pro. And it is clear that even if you have a physical keyboard, it is better to do serious work in the OS X environment than in iOS. But still, you don’t want to part with the Smart Keyboard at all, and, as it turns out, this device can really be useful.

However, the result exceeded expectations. First of all, the accessory itself turned out to be very successful. Typing on the keyboard is almost as pleasant and comfortable as on a regular Apple keyboard and incomparably more comfortable than on the iPad Pro virtual keyboard. But at the same time, the Smart Keyboard takes up almost no space - with it, the iPad Pro becomes only slightly thicker than with the proprietary Smart Cover, and a little heavier. To be precise, the weight of the Smart Keyboard is 335 grams, and the Smart Cover is 164 grams. But even in the case of home use, and in the case of some trips, this almost does not entail any inconvenience. True, the mass of the tablet still becomes more than the psychological threshold of 1 kg, and it is no longer so easy to casually take it with one hand from the windowsill or shelf. However, it would be unfair to say that this somehow limits the scenarios for using the tablet.

But the opposite is obvious: Smart Keyboard significantly expands the possibilities of using the iPad Pro, turning it into a full-fledged laptop replacement when it comes to typing, working with mail, communicating in social networks and instant messengers ... That is, if you have a laptop and an iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard, there will be much fewer cases when you need to take a laptop with you, and not an iPad. Do you like to write text in transport? You are welcome. Do you want to work outdoors or in a cafe, sorting out mail and communicating with colleagues via the Internet? It's also possible. More to the point, if you have the cellular version of the iPad Pro, then the iPad Pro becomes an even better option because you won't be tied to Wi-Fi hotspots.

Perhaps the main thing that does not allow you to forget when working with the iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard that this is still not a full-fledged laptop is the lack of a mouse, which can be very useful even in a text editor, not to mention other professional tasks. For example, selecting large chunks of text with your finger is still not as convenient as with the mouse. But this remark has nothing to do directly with the Smart Keyboard.

As for home use, here too the Smart Keyboard turns out to be an unexpectedly useful accessory. Imagine lying on the couch surfing the web or watching YouTube using an iPad Pro. And now you have received some kind of letter, to which it is desirable to respond in detail. Or a friend started chatting in the messenger. Or wanted to comment on a post on a social network. It seems that you don’t want to get up for this, turn on the computer and change seats for it, but typing any extended phrases on the virtual keyboard is not pleasant. It is in this situation that Smart Keyboard comes to the rescue. By the way, the tablet in the Smart Keyboard is quite stable even on your knees or other uneven surfaces (which, by the way, not all external keyboards can boast of).

In general, this, of course, is not a matter of prime necessity. But it's a very welcome and in many cases useful addition to the iPad Pro, and far exceeded our expectations and allayed our fears. Three things can keep you from buying a Smart Keyboard: first, high price(although Apple accessories have never been cheap), secondly, the lack of Russian letters on the keys, and thirdly, the mass - with all the success of the keyboard, the tablet with it, of course, becomes heavier. And whether these moments outweigh or not - depends primarily on how and where you use the iPad Pro, whether you type blindly and whether you are ready to spend 13,290 rubles on such a thing.

As a conclusion, we offer you our video review of the Smart Keyboard, which clearly shows the possibilities of using it.

P. S. For worthy appearance, water resistance and great functionality, we give the Smart Keyboard our Editorial Original Design Award: