Apple is planning to release an iPad keyboard with a built-in trackpad this year, according to a new report from The Information which says that Apple is currently “preparing the keyboard for mass production.”
Apple is planning to release an iPad keyboard accessory later this year that will include a built-in trackpad, the latest step in its effort to position the tablet device as an alternative to laptop computers, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company will likely release the accessory alongside the next version of the iPad Pro expected later this year, the person added.
Today’s report says the new iPad Pro Smart Keyboard with trackpad is expected to be “made of materials similar” to the current Smart Keyboards. This implies it will feature a fabric design, likely still with fabric-covered keys. Foxconn will be one of the “main manufacturers” of the new accessory, the report says.
MacDailyNews Note: Developer Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) says via Twitter, “I’ll reiterate that as of right now, iOS 13.4 doesn’t have any changes to suggest trackpad support beyond what AssistiveTouch does. It does have plenty of new keyboard features, but if there’s advanced mouse cursor support coming it’s been compiled out of the builds.”
https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/1233126359800610816