Blog

Apple clearly sees the iPad Pro lineup as the closest ally for its MacBook series. The variant has a large screen, PC-like hardware and all the raw ingredients to be considered as an alternative to the Macs but if there is one thing that has denied the company its wishes, it has to be the layout of the keyboard which Apple calls the Magic Keyboard.

But all that could change in the near future as the brand looks to rechristen the iPad Pro keyboard and finally get it closer to making the ideal MacBook replacement.

Reports say Apple wants to increase the size of the iPad Pro display to 14-inch and overhaul the Magic Keyboard to give it the durability to resemble a traditional laptop keyboard. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg is the source for these details, who also claims that the new keyboard for iPad Pro will have a bigger trackpad as well.

He points out that Apple will be using aluminium to build the next iPad Pro keyboard which gets it closer to the design and build quality of the MacBook keyboard. But the design change is unlikely to compromise on portability and the structure of the keys which is essential for any keyboard. The existing keyboard uses materials that make it prone to bending, which is not ideal for any keyboard, let alone for one that works with the iPad Pro.

While all these changes will be welcomed and get people excited, the problem is that Apple will bump up the price tag of the next-gen Magic Keyboard, which already costs around Rs 29,000 in a market like India.

Gurman has already suggested that the next iPad Pro could be powered by the upcoming M3 chip which puts it at par with the MacBooks in terms of performance. The model could also be upgraded from LED to OLED panel which should further push the price of the product.

It would be interesting to see if Apple prolongs the use of iPadOS for this product or move to macOS since the features are evolving for the device. We might get a better idea about Apple’s direction with the product next month when the new M-series chip is going to be announced.

Many people have wondered about the logic of having the iPad Pro when the MacBook is the ideal notebook option. And it is likely that the upcoming changes if they are true, will show us the worth of having the lineup and how it manages to co-exist with the Macs.