What is going on, everybody?
I am Mike, welcome back to Tech 24/7 TV.
I'm glad that you're back with me today because it
is iPad season.
Now, Apple is shipping the new 2021 iPad Pros in the eleven
(11") inch and the twelve-point nine-inch (12.9") inch.
And if you are anything like me, you might be wondering
which keyboard you want to buy for your new eleven (11") inch
iPad Pro or maybe even the twelve-point nine-inch (12.9")
inch iPad Pro
You could buy the Magic Keyboard from Apple.
That's going to cost three hundred,
or three hundred dollars, and you really don't want to
spend that much.
Well, you are in the right place because
in today's video, I am looking at the new Combo Touch for the
eleven (11") inch iPad Pro.
And the question I'm really going to answer is, is it worth
one hundred ninety- nine dollars ($199), and does
it provide a similar, if not the same, experience as
the Magic Keyboard?
Let's get started.
Now, this is brand new for the iPad Pro this year.
This is for the eleven (11") inch.
Like I mentioned, I do have one coming for the twelve-point
nine-inch (12.9") inch.
I don't have it yet.
It's actually not shipping yet.
But this one was fresh off the delivery truck just a
few moments ago.
So we're doing this together now.
This is brand new.
I reviewed the Combo Touch last year, and I can say
that for the most part, I liked it a lot.
It actually had a great typing experience.
It felt very first party-ish, and that's how I
would explain it.
But the problem with the keyboard was that it would
constantly get detached from the iPad itself because along
the bottom of the iPad is where the smart connector is on the
seventh and eighth generation iPad.
There's really no reinforcement for the keyboard to
stick to that.
And there was the Folio Touch for the 11 inch iPad Pro for
the first and second generation.
This was kind of a hybrid approach.
It had some of the same features as the Combo Touch in
terms of the casing where you'd hold your apple pencil, but the
keyboard itself would actually fold below.
It was just kind of a weird implementation of that.
So I think this is going to be the best of both worlds.
This is really a competitor to Apple's, you know,
Magic Keyboard because it really gives, I would say,
almost similar functionality for one hundred dollars less.
Now, let's take a look at this here.
Priced at $199 for the eleven (11") inch or two hundred and
twenty-nine dollars ($229) for the twelve-point
nine-inch (12.9") inch.
Now I do have to twelve-point nine-inch (12.9") inch
on order.
Let me know in the comments below if you want to
see that reviewed.
This gives you really, I think, the flexibility of
using the keyboard when you want to and take it off.
Like any good keyboard, there's got to start with a
great typing experience, and the eleven (11") inch Combo
Touch does not fail on that aspect.
It's got a good typing experience.
It has good key pitch and key travel.
There is a row of dedicated iOS shortcut keys along the top.
The keyboard itself is going to be backlit with many different
levels of adjustable backlighting.
There is a large trackpad, and the keyboard itself is
detachable to the frame of the case, not the iPad itself,
like the previous generation.
And finally, there are a number of different viewing angles
that you can use this in from anywhere between twenty degrees
and sixty degrees.
So there are a few key differences that I would like
to mention here.
So first and foremost, the magnets are going to be
reinforced here along the bottom.
So when you take the keyboard and connect it, if I look at
this here, this is actually I'm holding the keyboard, right,
while the magnets around there.
And it's pretty strong like I've got my head underneath,
hoping it doesn't fall.
But this is going to be strong magnet.
So I would say that you should feel secure when you walk
around with this, that it's not going to needlessly come apart
like it did on the Combo Touch for the seventh and
eighth generation iPad.
The second thing is that this case is very, very thin.
It's got a nice profile to it.
All the edges are raised.
So if you place it face down, you should not worry about
accidentally scratching your screen.
Though, I think that it is possible just by depending on
where you're putting it.
And there is a place where the Apple Pencil.
Now you'll notice what is gone is the magnetic latch that
flipped around like it was like this.
I don't know why I'm doing that, but there was a
magnetic latch that used to hold the iPad keyboard to
the iPad itself.
That was available on the Folio Touch from last year,
in addition to the Combo Touch from the previous year.
Now, the magnets on the keyboard stick together and
don't come apart very easily.
So that is nice.
Here is the kickstand, , and that kickstand is
available from twenty degrees (20°) all the way to about
sixty degrees (60°).
And that's going to be usable.
So this should give you access to four different modes to
use the iPad.
You have the conventional I'm typing on my keyboard mode.
You have the draw mode where you're going to go and remove
the keyboard and then use this as a way to raise your iPad so
you can use it to draw.
You're also going to have the consumption mode, and then
finally is the reading mode where the keyboard is removed,
and you're holding it just by itself.
Now, this isn't actually too heavy where I would be worried
about dropping it.
I mean, it is definitely heavy.
It's a one-pound tablet that you're holding straight
up like this.
Now, comparing the length of the keyboard, the Combo
Touch does edge it out just being a hair longer than
the Magic Keyboard, which should translate into
more space on the keyboard for typing, giving you a
better typing experience.
Now looking here, the trackpad on the *FOLIO TOUCH* is not
only longer but also taller.
So it gives you more surface area to use for the trackpad.
Actually, this is a new thing with Apple.
I've noticed the manufacturers are including a
larger size trackpad.
So that is something that you won't keep in mind.
If you're looking for a large trackpad, you maybe
have trouble, you know, using your hands with the
trackpad itself.
You want something with a big surface area.
This is going to have that as well.
Now, looking at the keys, both keyboards have upside-down
t shaped arrows.
You also have the globe button in the left-hand corner,
which gives you access or to go and pull up the emoji or switch
quickly switch languages.
The keys themselves, other than the Globe Key and the
tilde key, the keyboards look roughly about the same size.
Now, I can tell you that outside of those
small differences, there is ambient backlighting on
the Combo Touch, which allows for 16 levels of
call micro-adjustments.
So you can gradually control how bright that light is,
Where on the Magic Keyboard.
It doesn't give you the granularity.
It's just either on or off.
There is a row of iOS function keys at the top, including all
the standard functions, and I'll list them below.
Now, at the day you have to ask yourself, is it worth
spending one hundred ninety- nine dollars ($199) on the
Combo Touch for the eleven (11") inch iPad Pro, or do you
want to spend two hundred ninety-nine dollars ($299) to
purchase the Magic Keyboard?
I would say that if you're looking for a great
typing experience, strictly the Combo Touch is going to be
on par, if not better.
If you're looking for a better trackpad experience, the Combo
Touch will beat it because the trackpad is larger.
If you're doing some type of creative work and you need to
plug additional drives in.
I would say that probably that the Magic Keyboard might
do you better.
Though what you could do is you could go with the
Combo Touch and, with the extra money,
buy yourself a USB key hub if you didn't have one already and
then use that with the Combo Touch.
If you're looking for something that offers you
great protection, obviously, the Magic Keyboard
offers very little protection the way that it's designed.
And all in all, I think the Combo Touch is a great value at
one hundred and ninety- nine dollars ($199).
I'd love to know whether or not you're going to go
and purchase it.
Let me know in the comments below.
Now, I do have the new 2021 iPad Pro that comes
out this week.
It's getting delivered on Friday.
So if you want to see that unboxing, get my
initial thoughts; make sure you click on subscribe and
turn on notifications.
I am Mike.
This is Tech 24/7 TV.
Folks, I'll talk to the next one.