Apple is reportedly working on expanding its range of tablet accessories by launching a new Magic Keyboard specially crafted for its upcoming budget-friendly iPads. This high-end accessory, designed to upgrade the iPad’s usability as a laptop alternative, will likely boast features like a metal palm rest, a row of function keys, and an expanded trackpad.
As mentioned in the latest “Power On” letter by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is currently working on a new iteration of the Magic Keyboard that will cater to its lower-tier iPads or potentially the iPad Air.
This accessory, expected to launch in 2025, will likely lack some of the premium features seen in the iPad Pro’s keyboard, such as the aluminum top case. However, it might include a row of function keys, providing a balance between functionality and cost for users of Apple’s more affordable tablets.
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Budget Keyboard To Let Go Of Luxury Features
Gurman suggests that while this new keyboard will come with design elements from higher-end counterparts, it will be more budget-friendly, letting go of luxury features such as the metal palm rest. The inclusion of a trackpad, which has become a staple in the company’s keyboard accessories remains uncertain for this version.
As of now, Apple’s iPad lineup supports a variety of keyboard accessories. The latest iPad Air, which launched alongside the iPad Pro, continues to be compatible with existing Magic Keyboards, making a new accessory unnecessary at this stage. However, the iPad Mini, which doesn’t have an official keyboard option, could potentially benefit from the introduction of this new Magic Keyboard. The accessory is said to offer improvements such as a function key row, similar to the one seen on the iPad Pro’s keyboard.
Gurman believes that Apple will launch this budget-conscious Magic Keyboard by mid-2025. This timeframe falls in line with reports suggesting that Apple plans to launch new iPad Air models featuring OLED displays in 2026. Moreover, a significant update for the iPad Mini is rumored, with an 8.3-inch OLED display likely being a highlight of the upcoming iteration.
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Apple’s Alleged Mac Mini Redesign Could Ditch USB-A Port
Apple’s next Mac Mini might ditch the USB-A ports, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who writes in today’s Power On newsletter that the new desktops will start to hit Apple’s warehouses in September. The higher-end variant with an Apple M4 Pro chip will ship in October, he suggests.
The version with an M4 Pri will still pack in a lot of ports, including five USB-C ports two in the front and three in the back), an ethernet port, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack, as per Gurman’s sources. And the new Mac Mini will apparently have an internal power supply. That’s not too bad for a PC that is said to be the same size as an Apple TV.