Apple announced the release of its new iPad Pro this morning, alongside it debuted a new Magic Keyboard that includes a trackpad. Since the coronavirus outbreak precluded any media event to unveil new products, Apple software VP Craig Federighi shared a video demo of the features with The Verge.
In the video, Federighi discusses the logic behind Apple’s decision to bring trackpad support to the iPad Pro.
Our goal with iPad has always been to create a device so capable and so versatile it can become whatever you want it to be. And that versatility is built on the power of touch. But of course we give you so many other ways to interact with your iPad, and sometimes you want to type. For typing, nothing beats the Magic Keyboard. It’s when typing that you most appreciate the precision and ergonomics of a trackpad.
Federighi also discussed the logic behind making the iPadOS mouse cursor a rounded icon in place of a traditional pointer:
The shape of the cursor is the one most natural for the touch experience. It’s round, just like your fingertip. As you move over the controls, it automatically transforms to make them easy to select. And of course the trackpad is amazing for text — the cursor transforms into a precise tool that makes it super easy to select text, apply formatting, and even select whole blocks of text.
Federighi points out that the Magic Keyboard’s trackpad can do anything a user should also be able to do using touch, including accessing the Dock, Control Center, and Slide Over apps, and including gestures for accessing the Home screen and multitasking.
The full video is available for viewing at The Verge. The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will be available for purchase in May for $299 (US) for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $349 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.