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Design9
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Comfortability9
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Features9
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Value for Money9
If you’ve recently bought an M4 iPad Pro or an M2 iPad Air, it’s wise to invest in a keyboard of some description if you want to get the most out of your new toy. Sorry, your new Important Business Device.
The problem is that the new Apple Magic Keyboard – as superb as it is – adds a significant amount to your already expensive tablet purchase. If you’re reading this review, it’s because you clearly value those pennies in your bank account, and are keen to seek out an alternative.
The Logitech Combo Touch is, for many people, the obvious alternative to the Magic Keyboard. It’s cheaper, just as convenient to use, and appears to have a couple more tricks up its sleeve.
I’ve been using the new Logitech Combo Touch as my 11-inch M4 iPad Pro keyboard, and I’ve got many thoughts.
Logitech Combo Touch UK price and features
Logitech refers to the Combo Touch as the most versatile keyboard case it has ever designed, claiming that it’s built to enhance productivity on the go. That’s a big claim, but it’s also what we want from iPad keyboard cases, isn’t it?
It’s an immediately interesting package. The Combo Touch comes in two parts – a case with a kickstand, and a detachable keyboard with a multi-touch trackpad.
The keys are backlit (the brightness for which is both automated and manually tweakable) and include a row of function keys for common iPadOS commands.
The case feeds off the iPad’s power supply and there’s instant pairing, making it very Magic Keyboard-like. There’s also room for the Apple Pencil Pro thanks to a handy cut-out.
The Logitech Combo Touch is compatible with the M4 iPad Pro and the M2 iPad Air in both 11- and 13-inch sizes for both models. You can buy it today, and it ranges from £199.99 to £259.99 depending on which iPad you have.
Design and functionality
As noted, pairing the Logitech Combo Touch to your iPad is as simple as it should be; just place the iPad in the case, attach the keyboard and it starts working. No Bluetooth pairing, and, crucially, no need to charge the case.
I haven’t noticed any measurable impact on my iPad’s battery life, either, which suggests it’s just as kind to the mothership’s battery life as the Magic Keyboard.
The kickstand on the case might be the winning element of the Combo Touch. It enables almost limitless viewing angles and feels sturdy enough for most surfaces. The hinge feels strong and as though it could take plenty of stick, and if you’re wondering if you can use the Combo Touch on your lap – you absolutely can. If anything, it’s better than the Magic Keyboard in that respect, due to the slightly odd weighting on Apple’s official accessory (it’s a bit top-heavy on your lap).
The keyboard is great to type on. There’s just enough travel, and although the 11-inch version can sometimes feel cramped, that’s more a compromise of the smaller M4 iPad Pro. The full-size backlit keys make up for that, though, and I’m a big fan of the function key row. Logitech saw the good sense to include a screenshot key, and while there’s no escape key, we do get a home button in its place which is both nostalgic and useful. There’s also a Do Not Disturb key, which is more useful than you might think (although it would be nice to be able to assign custom focus modes to it).
The multi-touch trackpad is big enough to not feel cramped (even on the 11-inch version I’ve been using) and it’s 67% bigger than the previous version if you have a 13-inch iPad. If you’re wondering, you can click anywhere on the trackpad, too.
As a case, the Logitech Combo Touch provides ample protection for your iPad. There’s coverage all the way around and enough of a raised lip to protect that lovely display from most accidental knocks. It looks good in black, too, and while the Combo Touch does indeed pick up a few fingerprints, they’re pretty easy to wipe off and it doesn’t seem as susceptible as the Magic Keyboard.
Logitech Combo Touch vs Apple Magic Keyboard
The Logitech Combo Touch still isn’t a ‘cheap’ iPad keyboard accessory, but that’s a good thing. Trust me. It is, however, a lot less expensive than the Magic Keyboard and that counts for a lot these days.
The Magic Keyboard is, arguably, a little less fussy in its design, because it just flips open. The Combo Touch, by comparison, takes a little longer to open due to the kickstand. What you get in return for the latter is far more angles of adjustment, and the ability to detach that keyboard.
Apple fans will opt immediately for the Magic Keyboard – it’s the obvious instant buy for that crowd, but the Combo Touch demands the attention of anyone who isn’t quite so welded into Apple Land, and those who have a keen eye on their tech expenditure.
You know exactly which camp you fall into.
Conclusion
The Logitech Combo Touch does three things very well:
- It reduces the overall cost of your full iPad Pro or iPad Air setup.
- It protects that expensive tablet very well indeed.
- It helps take your iPad beyond its typical use case but doesn’t forget that, at its heart, it’s still a tablet.
The Logitech Combo Touch gets a big thumbs up from yours truly. I’ve sent my Magic Keyboard back, and although the intention was to grab the white version instead, I think I’m going to stick with the Combo Touch.
