Apple’s new mini-LED 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a downside and it may cost you ₹31,900 extra

The new 2021 model is not compatible with the old Magic Keyboard folio case that supported both 12.9-inch iPad Pros from 2018 and 2020 - blame mini-LED tech for the thickness.

Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard folio case. (Apple)

At least one new iPad Pro tablet, which was introduced at Apple's ‘Spring Loaded' event earlier this week, had something new we haven't seen in iDevices before. We are talking about the larger-sized 12.9-inch iPad Pro that was boasted for its Liquid Retina XDR display that is also the first ever to feature mini-LED display tech. While Apple did say that the mini-LED panel is expected to bring more saturation, more peak brightness and contrast levels, what it did not reveal was the increased thickness.

As per Apple's own website, the 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro measures 6.4mm in thickness, which is a tad bit more than the 11-inch model's 5.9mm. But while this might sound negligible, it does bring bad news for those planning to switch from the older 12.9-inch iPad and are using the original Magic Keyboard accessory.

The big catch here is that the new 2021 model is simply not compatible with the old Magic Keyboard folio case that supported both 12.9-inch iPad Pros from 2018 and 2020. This has not been confirmed by Apple yet, but The Verge has cross-checked it from sources and has confirmed that you would need to buy the new $349 Magic Keyboard case for the new iPad Pro tablet.

The incompatibility with this older-gen accessory is due to the thickness, which is being said to be tied with the use of the mini-LED tech. However, since the new 11-inch iPad doesn't have mini-LED tech, it stays at 5.9mm thickness, which is the same as the 2020 model, as seen on Apple's website.

The only silver lining here is that the new Magic Keyboard folio case is compatible with this year's iPad along with 2018 and 2020 iPads. But it still might be a bit of an annoyance for a user to know that he/she would have to shell extra bucks for the accessory to get the full benefits of the new M1-based tablet.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes in five storage variants priced at ₹99,900 (128GB), ₹1,08,900 (256GB), ₹1,26,900 (512GB), ₹1,62,900 (1TB) and ₹1,98,900 (2TB). The 11-inch model starts at ₹71,900 for 128GB and goes till 1,70,900 for the 2TB model. The new Magic Keyboard for 12.9-inch iPad Pro costs ₹31,900 and comes in Black/White colour models.