iPad accessories are more confusing than ever - The Verge
Apple has new iPads and a bunch of new accessories, but knowing what works with what is now more confusing than ever.
The Verge homepageThe Verge homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo./Tech/Reviews/Science/Entertainment/MoreMenuExpandThe VergeThe Verge logo.MenuExpandApple/Tech/iPadiPad accessories are more confusing than everiPad accessories are more confusing than ever / Apple just introduced new iPads and accessories, but instead of taking the opportunity to simplify things, Apple made the ecosystem more fracturedBy Jay Peters / @jaypeters
Share this storyThe Magic Keyboard Folio only works with the new iPad even though the tablet is a very similar size to other Apple tablets. Image: AppleApple introduced new iPads and a bunch of new accessories today, but instead of using the launch as a time to simplify, knowing what works with what is more confusing than ever.
Let’s focus first on the 10th-generation iPad, which got the biggest changes. Its new design more closely matches the company’s other recent iPads, with a USB-C port, slimmer bezels, and Touch ID on the sleep / wake button, just like the iPad Air and iPad Mini. From pictures, you’d be hard-pressed to tell which is the base model iPad and which is the Air.
The similarity to those other two iPads might make you think this new one supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, which can magnetically stick to the side of tablets for charging and pairing. But it doesn’t: instead, the 10th-gen iPad only works with the old Apple Pencil, and since that stylus has to be charged from a Lightning port, which the new iPad lacks, you’ll need a special dongle to hook it up.
Maybe you don’t care about the Apple Pencil but instead want the latest and greatest in Apple’s keyboard cases. For the new iPad, you can add on a new Magic Keyboard Folio, which offers a 14-key function row for easy access to things like volume controls.
Rating: 5