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I’m a lover of mechanical keyboards, so ever since I learned that Apple is supposedly working on a foldable tablet-slash-laptop, there was one concern that piqued my interest above all others: what will it be like to type on?
After all, we know that Apple is at least considering a device like this. The company was recently granted a new patent detailing just such a product, and a slew of reliable leakers and supply chain analysts have exposed Apple’s plans in remarkable detail.
And while we don’t know whether Apple is going to position this device primarily as an iPad or as a MacBook, in the end that all seems fairly irrelevant. Because really, you’ll almost certainly be able to use it in a laptop orientation.
To save space and weight, that probably means a virtual keyboard, which will obviate the need for a separate iPad keyboard. After all, if this product can be folded out to become a large 20-inch tablet, as the rumors and patents have indicated, that means it will be an all-screen device.
But that makes me rather worried: after all, a built-in keyboard in a foldable device surely means typing on a flat glass display. And as a fan of chunky, clicky, high-travel keyboards, that’s absolutely the last thing I want to do.
Not enough for serious typists
While they’re fine for quick bursts, virtual keyboards are uncomfortable to type on for long periods of time. Tapping onto a solid glass surface with no give and movement is a sure-fire route to finger soreness, after all.
A secondary problem is the lack of physical feedback, which leads to a dull typing sensation. Apple has a way to partially fix this using haptic feedback — you can already enable this feature in iOS and iPadOS — but will it be enough to satisfy serious typists? I’m not convinced, especially when we consider the butterfly keyboard, which also offered little in the way of feedback and was a terrible typing experience from start to finish.
And there’s another issue: flat glass keyboards can also make you prone to mistakes. In the absence of defined keys with physical edges, landing your fingers on the right spots by touch alone is difficult. And if you have to keep looking down to hit the correct keys, you’ll be unavoidably slowed down.
Aside from haptic feedback, we know Apple is thinking about other ways to improve flat keyboards. One solution as detailed in a patent is a deformable glass structure that could morph and move as you type. While that would probably be better than typing on a totally smooth surface, I can’t imagine it will be able to compete with a more traditional keyboard.
We need an innovative solution
Don’t get me wrong, I think there’s a lot to like in the idea of a large, foldable device like this iPad-MacBook hybrid. It could be fantastic for productivity, giving you a product that would be able to easily transition between tablet and laptop forms depending on your most pressing needs.
But the keyboard remains a concern for me. If Apple can’t get it right, a key part of the offering will be flawed, potentially leading to people either buying an external keyboard or avoiding the device altogether.
Apple’s philosophy is to wait until it feels it has perfected a product before releasing it, and you’ll rarely see the company rushing to market just to compete with rivals (OK, Apple Intelligence aside). This gives me some hope that Apple’s foldable will come with an innovative solution to the typing problem — and if there’s one thing Apple excels at, it’s finding innovative solutions.
Of course, there’s no guarantee Apple will be able to overcome the obstacles sent its way by a flat glass keyboard. Just look at the butterfly keyboard — Apple’s typing tendencies aren’t always on the money.
For me, the keyboard will be the main test of this foldable device. It has to be enjoyable to actually use, especially if one of its main use cases is as a laptop. With the foldable expected to launch around 2028, I’ll be waiting with bated breath.
