Roger Fingas
In light of several technical problems the accessory is having, Apple is reportedly offering a free, three-year repair program for the iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard.
The Keyboard can encounter "functional issues" such as a faulty Smart Connector, or keys repeating, sticking, and failing to respond, MacRumors said on Monday, citing a memo circulated to Apple stores and authorized repair outfits. The program was confirmed in checks by AppleInsider.
Both 9.7- and 12.9-inch versions of the Keyboard are covered under the initiative.
To qualify, owners must ask for repairs within three years of their purchase date and go through official channels, whether a Genius Bar, an authorized service provider, or Apple's phone and online support. The policy is allegedly so new that some support workers may be unfamiliar, in which case it may be necessary to ask for higher-level staff.
Apple has often marketed the Smart Keyboard as an integral part of buying an iPad Pro, helping to put iPads on par with laptops. It includes iOS shortcuts, and doesn't require special pairing or charging.
The company could be preparing new versions of the Keyboard to coincide with an anticipated Pro refresh. On top of revising the 12.9-inch model, it's also expected to ship a new 10.5-inch tablet, possibly with shrunken bezels among other features.
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17 Comments
Recently, my iPad Pro had been failing to fully charge. It would stay stuck around 94-96% no matter how long I left it plugged in. So after forced rebooting (which did nothing), I killed some of the auto-updating apps in the background and that did it. Back to 100%.
My iPad Pro 12.9 keyboard (Gen 1) acts twitchy all the time. It works fine for a while, then just fails to respond to key presses: I then have to disconnect it and reconnect it to get it to work properly.
For its price, it's a mediocre (and ugly-looking, especially it color) product, just not Apple-worthy in its design or functionality. Unfortunately, I have not come across anything better.
Add: My biggest beef with it is the fact that none of its viewing/use positions enable easy use of the Pencil; I wish the design would have allowed for it to be it at a lower angle relative to the surface, so as to be able to rest one's palm during Pencil use.
My keyboard has been having issues for 2 months. Spacebar only works 1/2 the time...approximately...I am glad to see a program to address.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good third-party (smart-connector, not bluetooth) keyboard?
I preordered the keyboard as soon as I could when the 12.9 iPad came out, so I must have one of the firs batches they actually sold, mine has been rock solid with no problems at all with use everyday. Now I don't travel with it often or as much as some people I assume do. I also must take it on and off the keyboard probably 4-5 times a day just to make the iPad lighter while on the couch and my smart connector is fine. Remember how long it tool for these smart keyboards to make it into store they must have had quality control issues maybe thats why it took so long. Hopefully we will see a nice update or a different option of keyboard from Apple next refresh. Still want something that would work better on my lap something more rigid maybe aluminum, but the problem is we all want it super light its a hard tradeoff.