What is going on, everybody?
it is.
Mike, welcome back to the channel.
Glad that you are back with me today because we are talking
about one of my favorite subjects.
It is iPad keyboards.
Now, if you're the owner of the iPad Air 5, maybe even the
iPad Air 4, or the 11 inch iPad Pro.
And you've been looking for a keyboard to not only fit your
iPad in the way that you use your device, but also maybe
even take your productivity to the next level.
You are in the right place because today we're going to
compare the Logitech Combo Touch, which is a two
hundred dollar keyboard case against
Apple's Magic Keyboard, which is really the bar with
that Apple sets how the keyboard should be used
with the iPad.
So in today's video, we're going to review both
these devices and I'll let you know which one you should
choose based on how you use the device.
Let's get started.
Now, today's video is broken down into different sections,
and I have those sections pinned in the
first comment below.
Additionally, anything that you see in the video today will be
linked in the video description with an affiliate link in case
you want to pick something up that does help support
the channel, because I purchased all these devices and
these accessories myself.
Now let's talk about the Logitech Combo Touch.
The Combo Touch is available for the iPad Air as well as the
11 inch and 12.9 inch iPad Pro.
So when you're shopping for it, you want to make sure
that you're buying the one that's made for the iPad Air as
it has the cut out for the Touch ID sensor on the left
hand side of the case.
Here's is the cut out for touch ID.
Obviously there's a cut out for the camera and here the pogo
pins on the back for your iPad.
So if you want to insert this, you're just simply going to.
Push in the bottom first and then the top.
And then you see here your iPad is all in there,
nice and secure.
I purchased my Logitech Combo Touch on Amazon over the
past summer, but there's no need to worry.
Even though the branding says iPad Air 4, it does fit the
iPad Air 5, which I have in lovely blue color.
This is, I think, the best color out there.
Let me know what you think about this down
the comments below.
Now, as of today, which is Sunday, March 27th,
I think it is.
This case costs $150 on Amazon, $155 at Best Buy.
So you are going to find a varying number of prices,
but it's a fifty difference off of the normal MSRP or retail
price of $199.
And we look at Apple's Magic Keyboard.
The 11 inch version works with the iPad Air 4,
the iPad Air 5, as well as the 11 inch iPad Pro and it
retails for $299.
Now, if you're shopping on Amazon, you can find this
renewed sometimes for about 260, 270 bucks.
And really, you're just getting the same product that someone
opened and sent back to Amazon.
It's like an open box.
So we think about it that way, but it's actually worth
considering if you're looking to save just a little
bit of money.
This white one that I have here was renewed.
I don't really care if it's open box or not.
It's not a gift or anything, so I rather save myself the
money than worry about that.
The Logitech Combo Touch is a fabric wrapped keyboard case
that offers full protection and has several novel features.
Depending on what you're looking to get out of your
keyboard case, there is a detachable keyboard.
It is designed to work in multiple contexts.
There is a large glass trackpad and there is a full row of
function keys at the very top, which I am a fan of.
The Magic Keyboard offers a very clean,
minimal design aesthetic, allows your iPad to float above
the keyboard itself with its cantilever design and first
class typing and trackpad experience.
The two keyboards could not be any more different as the
Logitech Combo Touch prioritizes function
over form, while Apple's Magic Keyboard tries to balance form
and function both equally.
In terms of first time set up, the Logitech Combo Touch has a
detachable keyboard that allows it to be instantly removed from
the case whenever it's unneeded or troublesome to go out
and use it.
You might be doing something where you want to maybe lean
back and watch a movie and you don't necessarily need the
keyboard attached to it, and it simply just pulls
apart very easily.
The keyboard attaches to the frame of the Combo Touch using
the pogo pins that are located in the very top center
of the spine.
Now, it's worth noting that if the keyboard is not attached to
the case itself, you can't use the keyboard by itself.
This doesn't have a battery, it doesn't have any Bluetooth.
There's no connectivity to the iPad other than when using the
pogo pins directly connected to the keyboard case.
This is a big question that I had people wondering if I could
take apart this keyboard case and then use the keyboard when
it's not connected to the case itself.
It doesn't work that way whatsoever.
Now, in terms of context, you can use the Logitech Combo
Touch in one of four different contexts,
either traditional typing context where the keyboard and
the case are attached to one another and the consumption
context where you may be watching movies, you might be
on a video call, but you have that just with the
kickstand out, you have the reading context and you are
using this one handed, maybe two handed.
It's kind of heavy.
I probably wouldn't use one hand, but you use
it like this.
And then you also have the drawing context where you have
the kickstand which is bent up and you're using to draw
on the iPad.
Now you could use this keyboard and put it like this and then
fold the keyboard around, but it does add some weight
to it, and I really wouldn't suggest that because it just
feels kind of heavy, more troublesome to hold.
But it certainly is an option if you like that.
Let me know down the comments below.
Now there is a kickstand on the Logitech Combo Touch, and a
kickstand will go anywhere between ten and 60 degrees,
playing into the context which can be used for typing,
viewing and drawing.
Both the Magic Keyboard and the iPad have a full of magnet
array on the back of here, which allows the iPad to stick
to the Magic Keyboard effortlessly.
You can take it off one hand and put it on one handed.
It works very simply.
Now, once connected, the Magic Keyboard supports viewing
angles from 90 degrees all the way up to 130 degrees.
So there is a little bit less in terms of viewing angles by
about ten degrees on the Magic Keyboard than there is on
the Combo Touch.
But practically speaking, there isn't really a
significant difference in the viewing angles that you can use
on here other than the drawing context which you use on the
Logitech Combo Touch.
Now in terms of design, both the larger Combo Touch and
the Magic Keyboard share several keyboard features that
are universal between the two use switch keys offering good
tactility and responsiveness.
You have fully functional multi-touch trackpad that
offers great control.
You've adjustable key brightness, even though
they're both implementing it in a different way.
You have the inverted T-shaped arrow keys.
You have the Globe key for access for emojis, which who
doesn't love emojis?
And you have one millimetre of key travel and 18 millimetres
of key pitch, which is the distance between the center
of each key.
Now there are a few places where such a Combo Touch really
pulls ahead of the Magic Keyboard, including a
full row of iOS function keys across the top that allow you
to control screen brightness, key brightness, media volume,
as well as lock the device and one tap home screen.
Now, in terms of typing experience, I am the
type of typer who can get accustomed to typing "a lot of
typing in that words" in about 10 minutes.
And the same rings true for each of these keyboards,
you know, 10 minutes worth of use.
I can get a custom and I'm typing on it somewhere between
65 and maybe 75 words a minute.
Each of these keys feel very similar with their
typing experience, and you probably would not notice a
difference thinking one is better than the other unless
you actually had the opportunity to type on them
back to back.
So I wouldn't necessarily be worried about getting a worse
typing experience on either one of these.
Apple's Magic Keyboard is a Combo Touch.
They both offer a great typing experience, so you
should be competent in that.
Now before we get to the next section, if you are
enjoying this video where I'm comparing these two
iPad keyboards, consider hitting like
on this video.
So YouTube knows to send this video out to other people who
have similar interests, such as you and I.
And if you want to consider joining the community or help
people again, just like you get them, most other tech help
make purchases using is related to their iPad, their iPhone,
their Mac, and help them just be more productive
with their tech.
Now, let's talk about the trackpad experience.
The trackpad on the Magic Keyboard, which is
obviously is first party.
It's going to be beautiful.
We have the trackpad size, which is 1.75 inches tall by
3.6 inches wide, which seems like a pretty big surface area
here on the left, the Combo Touch, we have 2.26
inches tall by 4.4 or five inches wide, which is a
significant amount of difference.
Apple has a list of compatible iPadOS gestures on their
website and I'll have that support article link in the
video description below.
But I went through that support article and I tried all the
gestures and all of them worked equally on each
of these devices.
I could not find one that did not work or that
had trouble working.
So I would suggest that if you have something that you're
looking to test, let me know what it is and down the
comments below and I can try that gesture for you.
But for the most part,
I can't find anything that works any differently on each
of these keyboards.
Now it is the end of the day and you need to figure out
where you need to spend your hard earned money.
Do you spend $300 on the Magic Keyboard from Apple?
Or do you spend $200 on the Logitech Combo Touch?
Here's how I would approach that problem.
First, you need to figure out whether you are cost
sensitive or not.
I
s it really a significant deal for you to spend the extra
hundred bucks
if you are cost sensitive, here's something I
would think about.
If you take the dollar amount of the keyboard, right,
$300 and you think about how long you're going to own this
keyboard and the iPad for probably at least four years.
That's 1460 days.
If you divide a three hour cost by 1460, you get roughly
$0.20 per day.
On the flip side, you have this keyboard,
which is 200 bucks.
It's going to be at roughly $0.13 a day.
So the difference between the two is $0.07 per day, $0.20 per
day to own the Magic Keyboard, $0.13 a day to own
the Combo Touch.
If you really like the Magic Keyboard, don't feel
guilty about it, you're going to keep it for a number of
years and cost per day is relatively low when you look at
the economics of it.
So that's what I would consider if you aren't cost sensitive
and you simply want the best that you know there is the
Magic Keyboard is the real deal.
It offers a great typing experience, it offers a
great trackpad experience.
It does have that cool cantilever design.
You have an additional usb-c port here in the spine of this
case that allows you to charge it from here.
Files in the Magic Keyboard and leaving the Usb-C port or the
Thunderbolt port open.
Maybe you want to connect an SSD, maybe you want to
connect to some type of flash drive, or maybe even you
want to connect the external monitor.
If Apple can deliver the goods in iPadOS 16.
Let me know if you're excited about that, because I know
I am.
This is certainly a great choice.
This is really the gold standard for keyboard cases.
Now, what I would tell you is that there are consequences of
that choice, obviously, because every choice has both
positives and negatives.
The first consequence is that there's very
minimal protection.
So putting your iPad in here, you have the risk or run the
risk of getting bumps and bruises along that side of your
iPad because there's no protection, because you
can easily, you know, take your iPad on and put your iPad
on and off.
It does have that consequence because of that, no protection.
But depending on who you are and how you use your iPad,
you might not care about that.
Very simply.
But if you are the type of person who cares about it,
the Logitech Combo Touch is a great choice.
It offers a very close, if not equal to typing and trackpad
experience as the Magic Keyboard.
It does have the full row of iOS function keys at the top,
which will allow you to be more productive.
You don't worry about swiping down from control center to
turn up your music, turn down your music volume, keyboard,
brightness, all that other good stuff that's all
done right here.
Within these keypads, it does have a very large
trackpad as well.
In addition to you have the ability to take the keyboard on
and often use uses in multiple contexts.
Now some people might find this annoying.
It really just depends on who you are.
I don't really mind about this at all because I like
flexibility and I like options.
Now, depending on how you type with your keyboard, you might
not like the fact that there is this kickstand, because when
you are typing on this, you do need to be mindful
of your laptop.
If this is on your lap, you need to balance both the
keyboard on your lap and then also this back.
As well.
So if you're typing and you might have this on one part of
your legs or the very front of your knees, you might have to
kind of wiggle or finesse this when you're typing.
But again, it really depends on whether or not you're using
that in that context.
Maybe you're on the couch, maybe you're sitting in a chair
and you're just typing on it.
It does cause concern for some people, depending on how
they use it.
But I don't find it a big deal.
I don't really find myself in that scenario very often.
I have something special for you since you made it smarter.
I do have some more Apple retro stickers in stock.
So comment retro down below.
I will pick five random people and mail one out to you.
Let me know what you think about either keyboard case down
the comments below.
Which one are you going to choose?
My name is Mike.
This is Tech 24 seven TV.
Folks, I will talk to you in the next one.