Apple to Release iPad Pro Smart Keyboard With Trackpad in 2020
Apple is working on an iPad keyboard that includes a built-in trackpad, reports The Information, citing sources with knowledge of Apple's plans.
Apple has reportedly been experimenting with trackpads for the iPad for a "number of years." Some of the prototypes have featured capacitive keys, though it is not known if this feature is in the finished product. The Information's source says that the keyboard will be made from materials similar to those in Apple's current Smart Keyboard Folio designed for the iPad Pro.
Apple is preparing the keyboard for mass production at the current time, and is expected to release the new accessory alongside the next version of the iPad Pro. Current rumors suggest the iPad Pro could be refreshed as soon as March, and Apple is expected to hold a March event (perhaps on March 31) to announce new devices.
If Apple does indeed unveil a new iPad Pro in March, we could see the rumored keyboard released at the same time. Up until now, all of Apple's Smart Keyboards designed for use with iPads have only featured standard keyboard keys. A version with a trackpad would need to be significantly overhauled to make space for the trackpad design.
Back in January, Taiwanese site DigiTimes said that Apple is working on a Smart Keyboard with backlit keys and scissor switches, so it's possible that the upcoming Smart Keyboard with trackpad will also have these features.
Popular Stories
Following over three months of beta testing, iOS 18 will finally be widely released to the public this Monday, September 16. The update should be available to install starting at around 10 a.m. Pacific Time (1 p.m. Eastern Time) in the Settings app under General → Software Update on the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18, and Apple...
It's that time of year again. Apple is about to release iOS 18, which promises to bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and the company is expected to release it sometime today – Monday, September 16. Based on past releases, the update is likely to drop at around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time/1:00 p.m. Eastern...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated...
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has been "lower than expected" since the devices became available to pre-order in the U.S. and dozens of other countries on Friday. Kuo said his data is based on a "supply chain survey" and shipping estimates listed on Apple's online store. Kuo estimated that sales of all four iPhone 16 models reached...
iOS 18 will be released to the public on Monday, but the first Apple Intelligence features will not be available until iOS 18.1 is released in October. Apple Intelligence features will continue to roll out in iOS 18.2 and beyond, with the expected roadmap outlined below per Apple's website and rumors. Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro model or any iPhone 16 model, and it will...
