Tomorrow at the ‘Let loose’ event, Apple is expected to debut next-generation iPad Pro and iPad Air models alongside some brand new iPad accessories.
The iPad Pro seems set to be the focal point, with a brand new OLED display, thinner body, and very possibly the launch of Apple’s M4 chip. New versions of the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil are also expected, both of which will likely be exclusive to the iPad Pro.
Evidence found on Apple’s Japanese site suggests the new Pencil may be dubbed the Apple Pencil Pro. Which got me thinking: adding the Pro name to the Magic Keyboard makes a lot of sense too, especially since only the new iPad Pro will support it.
Here’s why it may be just the right time for a Magic Keyboard Pro and Apple Pencil Pro.
Fighting off iPad Air competition
For the past few years, Apple has been inching the iPad Air lineup ever closer to the iPad Pro. The Air gained support for the existing Magic Keyboard. It was equipped with an M-class chip. Reporting points to a new 12.9-inch Air debuting tomorrow, giving the Air the kind of screen real estate that was formerly exclusive to the iPad Pro.
The iPad Air’s continual progression has been accompanied by a slowdown in iPad Pro developments. Some of the biggest differentiators between the two products today are the 12.9-inch model’s mini-LED display, which arrived in 2021 and never made its way to the smaller Pro, and the presence of Face ID on the Pro, which dates all the way back to 2018. Otherwise, there’s not a lot that sets the iPad Pro apart. Not right now, anyways.
This is why I believe it’s the perfect time for Apple to introduce Pro-exclusive accessories like a Magic Keyboard Pro and Apple Pencil Pro.
‘Pro’ all the things
The 2024 iPad Pro will usher in a new era for the Pro lineup, bringing perhaps the most exciting upgrade since the 2018 model. It makes sense, then, that Apple would seize this moment to add the Pro moniker to its new accessories.
Top comment by K
It’s really only tolerable if the new Pro accessories retain the price points of the current ‘non-Pro’ accessories, and the non-Pros get cheaper. The prices are already way unreasonable.
Launching a Magic Keyboard Pro and Apple Pencil Pro would provide a new level of differentiation for the iPad Pro compared to the Air. But also, importantly, they would make the accessory lineup way easier to understand for the average consumer. Keeping track of the nuances between the Apple Pencil (1st gen), Apple Pencil (USB-C), and Apple Pencil (2nd gen) is something even I struggle with.
Slap a ‘Pro’ name on the accessory, though? Suddenly the complex gets simplified. “You’d like an iPad Pro? Great, its accessory options include a Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard Pro.”
Unifying the new accessories under the Pro name would be a win for shoppers and make the iPad Pro a stronger contender against its little siblings like the iPad Air.
The only downside is technically an upside for Apple: ‘Pro’ accessories may merit higher price points. As though $349 for a 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard wasn’t already enough.
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