I am always testing different iPad cases. Once I’m executed, I all the time return to the Logitech Combo Touch. With an adjustable kickstand and a removable keyboard, it has every little thing I want. The Zagg Professional Keys 2 mimics most of the capabilities of the Logitech accent however at a lower cost, so I used to be excited to strive it, considering I could have discovered a brand new favourite. Sadly, it falls quick.
It isn’t utterly equivalent to the Logitech case—it is much more protecting, with a folio cowl that doubles as a kickstand (with adjustable angles) and a removable keyboard that sits in between. There isn’t any trackpad—which means I’ve to pack a mouse or always elevate my finger to the display—and your complete setup is heavy and clunky. At $150, it is one of many extra inexpensive iPad Professional keyboard instances. However its flaws are annoying sufficient that the lower cost may not matter.
Protecting however Chonky
The Professional Keys 2 I am testing is particularly constructed for the 13-inch iPad Pro (M4, 2024), although you too can purchase it for the 11-inch iPad Pro (M4) in addition to both the 13- and 11-inch iPad Air (M2). It consists of two items: the case and the keyboard.
Click on the keyboard into place utilizing the magnets and you need to use the iPad Professional like a laptop. The setup seems extra trendy than the first-generation Professional Keys, with sq. as an alternative of spherical keycaps (which I want) and backlit—with the choice to cycle between colours like inexperienced, blue, and crimson. There are lightbulbs beneath every key, so it is vivid sufficient for typing in darker environments. However elements of the keyboard (just like the aspect keys and performance row keys) shine brighter than the QWERTY keys, so the lighting feels uneven. Adjusting the brightness with the backlight key did not appear to make a lot of a distinction. Zagg additionally added extra floor space beneath the keyboard to relaxation your palms whereas typing.
{Photograph}: Brenda Stolyar
It’s comfy to kind on for lengthy durations (I used it to kind this overview), although a trackpad would have been the cherry on high, particularly since there’s loads of room (the first-gen mannequin has a trackpad version). Though I’ve been utilizing the case for a number of weeks now, I nonetheless discover myself by accident reaching towards the center to swipe an imaginary trackpad out of behavior. The keyboard is Bluetooth-connected, so that you’ll need to pair it with the iPad (you’ll be able to join as much as two gadgets) and cost it. Zagg claims as much as one yr of battery life, so that you don’t have to fret about always plugging it in.
The second-generation model has a slot on the aspect for the Apple Pencil relatively than a flap to maintain it in place. It’s much more aesthetically pleasing, however I want Zagg would’ve color-matched it to the case. As an alternative, it’s fabricated from the identical clear rubber because the bumpers across the iPad and appears low cost. The bumper runs beneath the slot too, nevertheless it gained’t get in the best way of wi-fi charging.
This case feels tremendous protecting, a lot in order that it looks like most of the rugged instances I’ve examined. Along with the rubber edges, the remainder of the case is fabricated from plastic with a mushy, matte really feel. The folio cowl might be folded again right into a stand and adjusted at two angles. It was superb for watching TV (it was sturdy sufficient to remain upright on the sofa with out toppling over) and to be used as a laptop computer. Nevertheless it does not provide as many angles as a kickstand does.
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