Apple shows off the new Magic Keyboard at its iPad event

On Monday, during its iPad event, Apple announced a new and improved Magic Keyboard, an iPad accessory.

The Magic Keyboard has been “completely redesigned” to be much thinner and lighter, Apple says, and now includes a variety of features for quick access to controls akin to screen brightness, volume control, and play/pause. Additionally, the new Magic Keyboard has aluminum palm rests and a bigger trackpad. Plus, it’s more responsive, Apple says, with touch feedback and a USB-C port for charging.

This is the first major version of the Magic Keyboard since its 2020 launch. And with the addition of a feature row, it’s on par with its Magic Keyboard Folio counterpart by way of features.

The new Magic Keyboard is on the market in two sizes – one for the 11-inch iPad Pro and one for the 13-inch model – and in two colours: black and white. It’s available for pre-order today for the same price as the previous-generation Magic Keyboard – $299 for the 11-inch version and $349 for the 13-inch version. It will probably be available in shops next week.

Other new keyboard accessories include the new Smart Folio for iPad Air. It attaches magnetically and supports multiple viewing angles, providing “more flexibility” than the old model.

The Smart Folio is on the market in charcoal, light purple, denim and sage, and is priced at $79 for the 11-inch version of the iPad Air and $99 for the 13-inch version.

Other announcements made at Tuesday’s event included a new iPad Air with an M2 chip and the first-ever 13-inch screen; new iPad Pro with an all-new M4 chip and stacked OLED screens for higher display quality; Pro version of Apple Pencil with new sensors; and a new version of Magic Keyboard. You can watch the entire movie here: