What you need to know
- Apple's refreshed 12.9-inch iPad Pro is slightly thicker than the previous model.
- Apple's original iPad Pro Magic Keyboard won't work with the new tablet.
Apple refreshed the iPad Pro this week, bringing Mini-LED screen technology to the 12.9-inch model. That has tons of benefits, but one drawback appears to be that the new version is 0.5mm thicker than the outgoing one. And that's enough to need a new Magic Keyboard, too.
Anyone with an existing 12.9-inch iPad Pro and matching Magic Keyboard will need to buy a new one if they upgrade their tablet, as the folk at iGeneration spotted.
From iGeneration:
While the 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro is broadly similar to the 2018 and 2020 models, the new tablet stands out on one point: it's thicker, at precisely 0.5mm. It might not sound like much, but it's enough for Apple to adjust its Magic Keyboard, the iPad Pro's dedicated trackpad keyboard. And according to the documentation provided to the Apple Stores that we have been able to consult, the old Magic Keyboard is not compatible with the large iPad Pros of 2021.
Notably, the new generation of Magic Keyboard will work with the older iPad. So there's that, at least.
None of this applies to the 11-inch iPad Pro, though. It didn't get the new screen technology and didn't gain any extra girth as a result. You might still want to upgrade your tablet though – the new model comes with Apple silicon inside for the very first time.
The iPad Pro's Magic Keyboard is arguably the best keyboard case for iPad Pro to date. There's no reason why the new, updated model would be any different in that regard.
