Apple undoubtedly raised some eyebrows with its sleek iPad Pro models, which came in 11-inch and 13-inch variants this year. Along with these sleek and premium iPads, Apple also introduced new accessories, including the all-new Magic Keyboard. Featuring a metal palm rest, a row of function keys and a larger trackpad, it’s intended to offer a laptop-like typing and tracking experience, helping users accomplish more on their iPads than they could on a notebook. With news of new low-end and mid-range iPad models on the horizon, there’s now also a report of a new Magic Keyboard accessory designed specifically for these models.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, in his newsletter While discussing Apple’s overall strategy, Apple’s iPad accessory was also mentioned. According to the report, Apple is working on a new low-end iPad Magic Keyboard accessory for future iPad models. The source claims that the new keyboard accessory would be inspired in design by the currently available Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro models, but will lack some premium design elements.
It’s not yet clear whether the new keyboard attachment will have a trackpad. Of Apple’s current tablet lineup, all recently launched iPad models have had keyboard attachments with a built-in trackpad. While Apple did recently unveil a new iPad Air alongside its iPad Pro models, it wasn’t exactly a redesign, but was made available in a larger size (13 inches) and did not require or demand the redesigned Magic Keyboard attachment. Apple’s iPad Mini is currently the only tablet that doesn’t yet have a keyboard attachment.
The source claims that the new Magic Keyboard accessory, which will be sourced from Apple suppliers, will be designed for “an entry-level iPad or the new iPad Air.” This new accessory may also lack premium design components like a metal palm rest, but will have new features compared to what’s available on the current iPad Air Magic Keyboard accessory. Gurman suggests this could include a row of function keys (like those found on the new iPad Pro keyboard accessory).
According to Gurman, the affordable Magic Keyboard accessory is expected to launch “in the middle of next year.” This ties in with an earlier report that suggested new iPad Air models with an OLED display would launch sometime in 2026. The report also points to Apple unveiling a new iPad Mini that is also expected to be upgraded to an 8.3-inch OLED display.
