As legions of Apple fans eagerly await the launch of the iPhone 16 next Monday, a leaker has dropped a surprising prediction about a different (and potentially very popular) product: the Magic Keyboard for iPad.
Apple sells a line of Magic Keyboards for the iPad Air and Pro, and while these are highly regarded for their comfort, ease of use, and attractive and functional cantilever design, they’re also incredibly expensive: The 11-inch models cost $299, while the 13-inch models cost $349, the same as the 10th-generation iPad. East a cheaper alternative to the low-end iPad, the Magic Keyboard Folio, but it lacks the cantilever design and still costs $249.)
In other words, even those who can afford an iPad Air or Pro often balk at the extra investment in a Magic Keyboard… which is a shame, because it’s one of the best accessories for turning an iPad into a powerful work machine.
If that’s you, get ready for some (possibly) good news. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman mentions almost in passing that Apple is working on a cheaper version of the Magic Keyboard.
“I’m told Apple suppliers are hard at work on a new iPad keyboard for next year,” he wrote. “This accessory will be a low-end version [of the Magic Keyboard] which could be designed for an entry-level iPad or the new iPad Airs.”
The key factor here is that it looks like the new keyboard will feature a cantilever design, or at least Gurman doesn’t specify otherwise. He notes that it will be distinguished from the premium keyboard by the absence of “more expensive components like the metal wrist rest,” but doesn’t mention anything about a fundamentally different design.
The other question this raises, of course, is how much of a “low-end” model we’re talking about. Gurman doesn’t give a number, but we can make an educated guess by thinking in terms of upper and lower bounds. It’ll obviously cost less than the current 11-inch Magic Keyboard’s $299; but by the same token, it’s hard to imagine it costing much less than the $249 currently charged for the Magic Keyboard Folio. I expect Apple to look to sell the Magic Keyboard “Lite” (it almost certainly won’t be called that, by the way) for somewhere between $219 and $249, and at the same time reduce the price of the Folio, or even discontinue it altogether.
As for its release date, Gurman says he expects the new product to be available by mid-2025, “if all goes according to plan.” So it’s debatable whether potential iPad buyers should take that into consideration when considering a purchase. And of course, as with all “budget” Apple products, keep in mind that, as we’ve seen, it likely won’t be available for purchase. especially cheap.
