1. Logitech Combo Touch Evaluation: An Ideal Substitute for the Apple iPad’s Input Device

Key Takeaways

• Logitech’s Combo Touch is a flexible keyboard case, but a less elegant option than Apple’s Magic Keyboard.
• Pros include backlit keys, iPadOS shortcuts, and a solid typing experience.
• Cons include a louder clicking trackpad, less lap typing support, and a lack of an additional USB-C charging port.

If Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro doesn’t interest you or you want to save a few dollars, Logitech’s new Combo Touch might be the perfect fit. It’s more flexible in some ways, but less elegant in others. The choice is still challenging as, during my testing, I found myself torn between Apple’s and Logitech’s products.

Logitech Combo Touch

7/ 10

Logitech’s Combo Touch is a keyboard case with backlit keys, iPadOS shortcut buttons, and a large trackpad that can also keep the iPad Pro safe.

Pros

• Break-away keyboard design is great for shedding bulk
• Nice backlighting and function keys
• Solid typing experience

Cons

• Doesn?t work great for typing on a lap
• Trackpad is loud with its clicks
• No extra USB-C charging port like Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro

$230 at Logitech $230 at Apple

How We Test and Review Products

Price and Availability

The Logitech Combo Touch for iPad Pro comes in 11- and 13-inch models. The 11-inch option retails for $229.99 and is available in a graphite color. The 13-inch model sells for $259.99.

The new Combo Touch keyboard series is also available for the iPad and iPad Air devices.

Specifications

Keyboard Included?

Yes

Weight

11-inch: 16.72oz (474 g)

Key Pitch

11-inch: 0.71in (18mm)

Key Travel

11-inch: 0.04in (1mm)

Power

Power by iPad via Smart Connector

An Alternative iPad Keyboard That Does Things Differently

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

If the Logitech Combo Touch keyboard case for Apple’s newest iPads were just a cheaper alternative, it would be much simpler to recommend to people looking to save some money. Instead, the Combo Touch is two separate pieces that magnetically attach together.

The first part is a kickstand case around the iPad Pro. The second part is the actual keyboard with a trackpad. Together, the two parts create a mobile workstation that makes it easy to ditch the productivity piece when it’s time to watch videos.

This is part of why I’m overly conflicted about it. Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is sleek and minimal, good for turning the iPad into a laptop, but it’s a single piece that feels bulky when I don’t need or want the keyboard half. The Touch Combo is more versatile with its kickstand but less refined in the keyboard and trackpad department.

The Pros and Cons of the Touch Combo

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The simplest way to cover Logitech’s Touch Combo might be just to list its pros and cons. You can decide which aspects are the most important to you.

First with the positives. The kickstand case that went around my 11-inch iPad Pro (M4) fit securely without any weird gaps. It added some thickness to the ultra-thin hardware, but less than I expected.

The kickstand hinge on the back was rigid enough to stay where I moved it to, but not stiff enough that it was hard to move in or out of place. All the ports and holes on the case lined up well, and the Apple Pencil Pro cutout along the top was an exact fit.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Down below, the keyboard is backlit so I can use it at nighttime. I found the keys to be a comfortable size for typing on. I really liked that the function row, above the numbers, featured keyboard brightness, a home button, and a screenshot button, in addition to the screen brightness and media controls. Not all of those buttons are available on Apple’s iPad keyboard.

Basically, at first glance, the Combo Touch is a first-rate iPad keyboard. On closer inspection, some nuances keep it from being quite as good as Apple’s more expensive product.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

On the con side, the way the bottom keyboard connected to the kickstand case was floppy. Even using it on a table, there were times I could feel it flex from side to side. It was much harder to use on my lap or on an uneven surface.

The Combo Touch isn’t good to use on a lap either. You can do it and I attempted it a few times, but each time I did I longed for the better lap stability of the Magic Keyboard.

Although the trackpad performed well, there were still a few times it didn’t do palm rejection as well as Apple’s so I got unwanted cursor movements. The trackpad is also mechanical with a physical click so it will be louder than Apple’s new haptic trackpad.

Less of a con and more of an item of note, there isn’t an additional USB-C port on the case for charging like there is on the Magic Keyboard.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

Another tiny detail is that the Touch Combo may need to have its firmware updated at some point which requires the use of the Logitech Control app through the App Store. I’d rather rely on Apple keeping its keyboard functioning through the operating system, rather than on a third-party app.

Should You Buy the Logitech Touch Combo?

I’m glad there’s a good third-party keyboard case alternative to Apple’s. The Logitech Combo Touch is a worthy consideration if you want to do things different than the Magic Keyboard wants to do them, or if you want to save some money.

The problem here is that the Combo Touch still isn’t cheap. The model compatible with the 11-inch iPad Pro (M4) costs $230, compared to the Magic Keyboard’s $300 price. The price is less, but it’s definitely not inexpensive.

The other consideration is that going the Combo Touch route means your iPad will probably need to live in the kickstand case. It got annoying to put my iPad in and take it out.

I think people who find themselves only typing occasionally and using the iPad Pro more as a video player could find a lot of value in Logitech’s offering. If you’re typing more regularly, I would suggest opting for Apple’s new Magic Keyboard. It’s too good for typing and turning the iPad Pro into a laptop to ignore.

Logitech Combo Touch

7/ 10

Logitech’s Combo Touch is a keyboard case with backlit keys, iPadOS shortcut buttons, and a large trackpad that can also keep the iPad Pro safe.

$230 at Logitech $230 at Apple

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