New iPad Pro is not compatible with previous Magic Keyboard

On Tuesday, Apple announced a new iPad and a new version of the Magic Keyboard during the Apple Event April 2021. As it turns out, this new version isn’t optional if you want to use a Magic Keyboard with the new 12.9″ iPad Pro.

The French website iGeneration discovered that the new iPad Pro is not compatible with the previous version of the Magic Keyboard. The new 12.9″ iPad Pro 2021 is 0.5 millimeters thicker than the 2020 model due to the new screen. Because the Magic Keyboard fits very closely around the iPad, this difference in thickness is enough to ensure that the old model of the keyboard is not usable with the new model iPad.

This is only the 12.9″ version according to iGeneration. The new 11″ iPad Pro is the same thickness as its predecessor and can therefore be used with the previous version of the Magic Keyboard. If you want to use a Magic Keyboard with the new 12.9″ iPad Pro, you will have to purchase a new keyboard for 339 euros.

The larger version of the iPad Pro 2021 is equipped with a different type of screen, which may account for the 0.5 millimeter difference. It is a miniLED screen that Apple calls a Liquid Retina XDR screen.