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ToolsIf you own a 7th-generation iPad ( review ), this is one of the most utilitarian accessories you can purchase outside of the Apple Pencil. Logitech besides sells a interpretation of its new keyboard font for the iPad Air 3. Be certain to subscribe to 9to5mac on YouTube, and watch our full hands-on review inside for the details .
Specifications
- Built in multi-touch trackpad
- Backlit keys
- Full row of iPadOS shortcut keys
- Built in multi-angle kick stand with 50-degree tilt
- Four usage modes optimized for typing, viewing, reading, and sketching
- Apple Pencil (1st-gen) / Logitech Crayon holder
- Smart Connector for power and connectivity
- Protective case covers front, rear, and sides of iPad
- Also available for iPad Air 3
- $149.95 price
Unboxing and setup
Inside the box you ’ ll find the two parts that make up the keyboard subject : a protective cover, and the keyboard part that attaches magnetically to the bed of the iPad .
Video review: Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case
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Installing the Logitech Keyboard Case on the iPad 7 is angstrom simple as lining up the pad by rights with the rear protective cover, and pressing down so that the edges that wrap around the iPad lock it into target .
From there, it ’ second fair a matter of attaching the keyboard to the Smart Connector share of the iPad. What you ’ ll end up with is a keyboard case that completely encloses and protects the iPad inside .
Multi-angle kickstand
Logitech includes a multi-angle kickstand built in to the rear protective cover. The kickstand, which includes resistance, can be adjusted up to a maximum of 50-degrees to help achieve optimum viewing angles .
The kickstand works great for table-top operation, and besides can do a fairly decent job of allowing you to lap type. The broken wake angles needed for a comfortable typing military position may result in a less-than-optimal lap typing experience, but with some adjustments to my sitting position I was able to pull it off reasonably well .
obviously you ’ re not going to have a good of a lick typing know as you would with a traditional laptop like the MacBook Air, but by finessing the adjustable stand one can make it study .
Smart connector support is great
One of the best features of the Combo Touch is its inclusion of contacts in order to take advantage of one of the iPad 7 ’ s newly Smart Connector functionality. Smart Connector support on the iPad 7 allows users to instantly ability and match peripherals like Apple ’ s Smart Keyboard, and Logitech ’ s Combo Touch Keyboard Case .
The presence of the Smart Connector means that you ’ ll never have to worry about flaky Bluetooth pair or batteries inside the keyboard running out of juice. The keyboard is powered directly by the iPad 7 itself, which greatly simplifies the process of using an external keyboard .
Versatility
Logitech designed the Combo Touch Keyboard Case in a way that allows users to take advantage of four different custom modes. There ’ s the standard mode for typing, one for view, a interpretation mood, and a sketch modality. This is another way of saying that the keyboard cases folds and adjusts in different ways to help facilitate the current tax at hand .
Another nice sport is the built-in Apple Pencil/ Logitech Crayon holder. I can ’ t tell you how many times I ’ ve misplaced my Apple Pencil over the years, so I appreciate being able to store it directly in the keyboard case .
Protection comes at a cost
Logitech ’ s Combo Touch not only protects the front and sides of your iPad, but it protects the rear a well. In fact, the stallion iPad is amply protected, corner to corner, when the case is closed .
Of run, such security comes at the cost of a reduce and trim box. The iPad 7 is a reasonably thin device on its own, but when adding the Logitech Combo Touch, it transforms into a relatively hefty package that ’ s much thick than the same iPad when mated with Apple ’ s Smart Keyboard .
The case besides adds a significant sum of weight to the software, weighing in at more than the iPad itself at 1.43 pounds. Coupled with the 1.07 pound iPad 7, it ’ s a entire weight of 2.5 pounds. To put that weight into perspective, the 2020 MacBook Air weighs 2.8 pounds .
For those that love the idea off having a smart Connector-power keyboard and trackpad, but can ’ t get past the bulk, it ’ s possible to use barely the keyboard part of the package without the rear protective case .
The downside of such a choice is that you ’ ll want to use something to prop up the iPad since you lose the adjustable kickstand. In the exercise in the video, I used the slope from WipLabs, which is an all-around excellent iPad stand .
I think I could get away with using the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard sans case when precisely using it around the house, but I ’ five hundred credibly want both the protection and the adjustable kickstand provided by the rear shroud when out and about .
Trackpad characteristics
The key feature of speech that separates the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case from other iPad 7 keyboard cases is its inclusion of a built-in trackpad with multi-touch gesture support. Having such a feature built in means that you don ’ t have to rely on an external Bluetooth Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse in order to use the amazing new cursor functionality in iPadOS 13.4 .
The top open of the trackpad appears to be field glass, just like the trackpad you ’ ll find in a MacBook, but the open area is a batch less than what you ’ ll find on a Mac. It can feel a spot cramped when you ’ re used to using a standalone or laptop Magic Trackpad.
Another big remainder between this trackpad and one find on modern Apple laptop has to do with suction stop remark. Because it employs a mechanical diving board design, clicking on the surface causes the trackpad to physically move in orderliness for the cluck propulsion to register .
Related video: using cursor control in iPadOS 13.4
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contemporary Apple laptop trackpads are solid submit in nature, so the snap is simulated and the trackpad itself doesn ’ triiodothyronine actually move when snap. The adult advantage of solid state trackpads is that there are no dead zones, which means you can click anywhere on the surface to register a click .
With a mechanical trackpad, like the one in the Logitech Combo Touch, you ’ ll find dead zones near the top, because the snap mechanism is positioned near the bed. In effect, it makes for less useable sphere for snap .
For this cause, I highly recommend enabling the Tap to Click switch found in Settings → General → Trackpad. This will allow you to plainly tap on the surface to register clicks, which provides more available surface area for chatter .
overall I ’ m a boastfully winnow of having a trackpad that ’ south always there and fix to use. As I noted in our hands-on overview of the top trackpad features in iPadOS 13.4, having cursor support on the iPad allows for more accurate control. Editing text is easier, since you no long have to reach up and touch the screen door, and navigating around the OS is easily thanks to the multi-touch trackpad gestures .
During my hands-on fourth dimension, I ’ ve noticed a few bugs with the Logitech Combo Touch trackpad. This will hopefully be addressed via the LogitechControl companion app that helps facilitate easy firmware updates .
For example, when scrolling long pages in Safari, I notice “ slippage ” when using two-finger scroll. This causes the page to abruptly stop travel, with the cursor moving rather. And when using the two-finger tapdance secondary cluck for right-clicking, occasionally the gesture will fail to register .
Both of these bugs are annoying, but neither of them happen frequently enough to make me not want to use the trackpad. Again, these are probably issues that can be addressed via a firmware update in the future .
Keyboard experience
The Logitech Combo Touch features well-spaced keys that provide enough tactile feedback and key travel to be able to well type long-form subject .
The keys on the keyboard are besides backlit, making it easier to type in dimly-lit environments. The keyboard backlight can be controlled directly from the routine quarrel, which besides features other iPadOS shortcuts keys, such as the ability to go to the Home screen, adjust volume, invoke Spotlight research, etc. In total there are four different backlight levels from which to choose from .
LogitechControl, the aforesaid company app for facilitating firmware updates, includes keyboard backlight control settings. Via this companion app, you can change the backlighting duration from 5 seconds up to 60 seconds, and alter the focal ratio at which the lights fade away after inaction .
9to5mac’s Take
Given that you ’ re getting a Smart Connector-powered backlit keyboard and integrate trackpad with multi-touch gesture hold, adding all of this functionality to your iPad for just $ 149.95 feels like pretty good deal .
The biggest downside to the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case is the bulk, which is great for protecting your iPad 7, but otherwise is a moment much. If you ’ ra diamond about staying slender and light, you can try to use the keyboard without its case, but you lose kickstand functionality in the process .
That being said, this keyboard has whetted my appetite for Apple ’ s official Magic Keyboard solution for the iPad Pro. That keyboard seems to add similar functionality without much of the add bulk that we see hera, but it ’ s besides double the price, and requires a much more expensive iPad Pro to use it .
If you own an iPad 7 and you ’ re looking to take full advantage of trackpad support in macOS, I think the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case is a solid choice. It ’ s a great way to turn your iPad 7 into a device that ’ sulfur close to a laptop in functionality. It ’ mho bulky when using the rear cover, but if you can get past the bulk, I think most iPad 7 owners will be quite happy it .
What do you think ? Sound off down below in the comments with your thoughts and observations .
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