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Whenever you think of keyboards and stylus inputs for an iPad, you no doubt are much like me, and think of that in the context of the iPad Pro line. That’s not the only path to using those, as the recent iPad and iPad Air releases from Apple are ready to embrace additional input methods.
One complaint that folks may have against a keyboard case is that it would add a good bit of bulk (and weight) to the relatively svelte package that an iPad gives you, thereby knocking out of the advantage to carrying and using a tablet rather than a laptop. Well, I’d say that the Zagg Pro Keys eliminates that concern:
Now, again, this is NOT for the iPad Pro lineup. This is actually for the 10.2″ iPad (7th and 8th gen), and for the 10.9″ iPad Air (4th gen). The 10.2″ version is available now, and the Air version is coming this month; both will retail for $109.99. For me, I like the looks of the thinner keyboard (you’ll have to judge the typing yourself), and the fact that things look like it’s easy to detach the keyboard to use the tablet as, well, a tablet.
What if the way you want to use it is with a stylus? Of course, the Apple Pencil is the gold standard here in terms of usability and integration, but it’s not an inexpensive option. That’s where something like the Zagg Pro Stylus comes into play. Like the Apple Pencil, it’s able to do palm rejection so you have your hand resting on the screen while you write or draw. It doesn’t have the pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil, but it is supposed to be able to pick up the angle of the stylus to adjust the line thickness. Also, on the back end, you’ve got the same squishy stylus tip that we’re used to, handy for taps where you don’t want the clacky tip. The $69.99 Zagg Pro Stylus will work with any Apple device that can support the 1st and 2nd gen Apple Pencil.
Then again, maybe you’ve got a stylus you like, but you just want a keyboard case and don’t care as much about detaching things. If that’s the case, then have a peek at the Zagg Messenger Folio 2. Here, you’ve got not near as much flexibility as the Pro Keys offers, but you do have a much lower price point – just $59.99. This keyboard will be available for the 10.2″ iPad (7th/8th gen) and the 10.5″ iPad Air (3rd gen).
It’s an interesting mix of options here, and I think it’s wise to focus on the other iPads in the lineup. I also am intrigued by the new stylus, so we’ll have one of those coming in for a review, so we’ll see how it stacks up to the Apple Pencil. zagg.com
