Smart Keyboard for 10.5-inch iPad Pro (2017)

The Smart Keyboard for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro was released along with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and Apple Pencil on June 5, 2017. Apple press released noted:

“Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, available for purchase separately, bring breakthrough levels of precision and utility to iPad Pro. Advanced sensors in Apple Pencil measure both pressure and tilt for natural drawing, annotating and note-taking. A new full-sized Smart Keyboard has been custom designed for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, offering a thin yet durable keyboard that never needs to be charged or paired over Bluetooth and is easily foldable into a protective Smart Cover.”

This Smart Keyboard used strong magnets to attach to the side of the iPad pro, but offered no back protection for the device. When in use, the Smart Keyboard folded into a triangle that allowed the iPad to sit back at an angle to allow for comfortable typing.

A 9to5Mac review from July 2017 noted that: “The Smart Keyboard makes a living by being thin, unassuming, and easy to tuck away when it’s not in use. It’s basically a Smart Cover with a little bit of extra thickness that allows it to double as a keyboard.”

Source: Apple, 9to5Mac

iPad Pro (10.5-inch, 64GB, Space Gray, 2017)

When Apple introduced the 10.5-inch iPad Pro in 2017, they described it as having “the world’s most advanced display and breakthrough performance.” This 10.5-inch iPad Pro was released along with a similar 12.9-inch pro model.

Apple’s press release described the features in detail:

“Apple today introduced an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, featuring the world’s most advanced display with ProMotion technology and incredible performance with the new A10X Fusion chip. The new 10.5-inch model reduces the borders by nearly 40 percent to fit into an incredibly compact package that still weighs just one pound. Combined with powerful new iPad features in iOS 11 coming this fall, like the all-new Files app, customizable Dock, improved multitasking and deeper integration of Apple Pencil, iPad Pro gives users the ability to be even more productive and creative.”

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro (model A1701) was available in silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold. It was originally priced at US$649 for the 64GB with Wi-Fi model and US$$779 for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

This iPad was 9.8 inches high, 6.8 inches wide, 0.24 inch deep, and weighed 1.03 pounds. Its touch screen was 10.5-inch (diagonal) with an LED-backlit Multi-Touch display, at 2224×1668 resolution (264ppi).

This 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a WiFi version with 64GB in Space Gray.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, Specs)

Apple Pencil (original, 2015)

The original Apple Pencil was released along with the original iPad Pro in September 2015. The Apple Pencil can be used by the iPad Air (Generation 3), iPad mini (Generation 5), iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad (Generation 6 and 7), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (Generation 1 and 2), and iPad Pro 9.7-inch. It pairs to an iPad device using Bluetooth, and has a removable magnetically attached cap hiding a Lightning connector.

The original Apple Pencil somewhat awkwardly charges by plugging it into the lightning port of an Apple device; however, it also includes a female-to-female adapter that allows charging with a Lightning cable. While a full charge can last up to 12 hours, a 15-second charge provides about 30 minutes of use.

The Apple Pencil can be used for writing, drawing, or annotating in a wide variety of apps. Apple describes its features as having “pixel-perfect precision, tilt and pressure sensitivity, and imperceptible lag.”

Source: Wikipedia, Apple (description, specifications)