Anika Begay
The beauty of an iPad is its versatility. You can use it as a tablet for entertainment, as a sketchpad for sketching, or as a laptop for doing some light work. But that also means you need the right accessories. Apple sells a lot of first-party options, but they’re pretty limited, not to mention downright expensive.
Take Apple’s Smart Folio, for example. It’s great for watching TV or drawing, but you’ll need to provide a keyboard and mouse if you want to use the tablet like a laptop. The Magic Keyboard Case, on the other hand, doesn’t detach from the keyboard and is top-heavy, so it’s not suitable for anything other than work. The only good choice is Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio. The top half protects the back and has a built-in kickstand. The bottom half is a detachable keyboard with a trackpad. It’s my favorite iPad case Apple has ever made, but unfortunately it only works with the 10th-generation iPad. Why Apple hasn’t extended support to the rest of its iPads is baffling.
Fortunately, there’s a solution in the form of the Logitech Combo Touch. It’s nearly identical to Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio, but Logitech has been making it for years straight. The latest version is designed specifically for the 13-inch iPad Pro, but there are other versions available for the iPad and iPad Air. For someone who’s constantly switching between using their tablet for work during the day and watching TV at night, it’s a must-have iPad accessory.
All-round adaptable
There’s not much to the Combo Touch. It comes in two pieces. The first half is the case itself, which is made of a soft-touch fabric with raised bumpers around the display for extra protection. The right side has a slot for storing and charging the Apple Pencil Pro (or just to stash it if you have the USB-C Pencil). On the back is an excellent kickstand that can be angled into a variety of positions. It’s also super sturdy, never wobbling when I tap on the display, when I put it on the bed to watch TV, or when it’s on my lap.
-Side-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Brenda-Stolyar.jpg)
Photography: Brenda Stolyar
The bottom half is the keyboard and mouse. It’s made of low-carbon aluminum and has the same premium feel as the redesigned Magic Keyboard case. (If you have an older iPad, the case has a woven fabric texture instead.) Both pieces connect via Apple’s Smart Connector, so you don’t have to worry about Bluetooth connectivity and, consequently, charging the case. This mechanism also makes it easy to quickly attach and detach both pieces.
The keys also feature adjustable backlighting, along with integrated function keys to quickly light up or dim them right from the keyboard. In addition to basic keys like brightness, playback controls, and volume controls, there’s also a Do Not Disturb key and a Screenshot key. The scissor keys are comfortable to use all day, and that’s coming from someone Very particular on my keyboards. I use a mechanical keyboard at my desk, so I thought it would be difficult to adapt to the Combo Touch, but I find it satisfactory: I am writing this review.
This case also makes the entire iPadOS experience much more tolerable for work. I can set the display to a variety of angles, the keys are large and clicky enough that I can type for long periods without tiring, and the trackpad is responsive (although it is a bit large).
