Accessory maker Moshi today debuted a new origami-style keyboard case designed for Apple's iPad Air. The VersaKeyboard is a slim folding stand case that comes equipped with an ultrathin detachable Bluetooth keyboard.

versakeyboard1
The case is designed to add full protection and minimal bulk to Apple's thin and light iPad Air, weighing just 12.5 ounces and measuring 0.6 inches thick. It features a polycarbonate shell that includes a keyboard storage slot and a VersaCover that can be folded into several different viewing positions for both landscape and portrait use.

versakeyboard2

Don't bother bringing your laptop — VersaKeyboard combines an ultra-thin keyboard with our popular VersaCover to give you the ultimate in iPad productivity. The detachable Bluetooth keyboard can be positioned anywhere within 30 feet of your iPad for maximum typing flexibility. Optimized scissor keys ensure tactile responsiveness and swift iOS keyboard shortcuts. When not in use, the keyboard slides snugly into the rear polycarbonate case for easy storage.

Like most cases, the VersaKeyboard supports automatic sleep/wake functionality, and the included Bluetooth keyboard offers 130 hours of battery life between charges. The keyboard is approximately 80 percent of the size of a standard keyboard.

The VersaKeyboard will be available beginning in January of 2014 for $99.

Moshi also has a standard VersaCover case for the iPad Air, which is priced at $60 and available immediately.

Top Rated Comments

APlotdevice Avatar
148 months ago
Laptops don't have touch screens or detachable keyboards or, ironically, full support from so many companies that provide apps, and they're less portable. But I still wouldn't buy a tablet, and although they can be useful, they're overrated. LAUSD buying iPads for every student... ridiculous.

I disagree. One lightweight iPad can replace several pounds worth of conventional textbooks. We've all been through that pain. Why continue to subject our children to it?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
148 months ago
If I needed a keyboard, wouldn't I have gotten a laptop?
Different people have different needs. I've gone keyboardless on iPad for years, but my next iPad will have a keyboard. Sometimes I'll use it, sometimes I'll leave it home.

An iPad + keyboard does some things better than an iPad without one.

An iPad + keyboard (much like an iPad alone) does some things better than a laptop.

An iPad + keyboard is far smaller and lighter than a laptop with any kind of useful performance. It gets far better battery life. The keyboard is detachable so you aren't stuck with it when you only need it 20% of the time. An iPad is more secure and reliable than a laptop. It's easier to maintain, easier to install software on, and more fun. And for a growing number of tasks, more productive.

There's nothing about an iPad that says entering words is never done. People DO enter words. So some will appreciate a keyboard.

Pick the tool for the task. For a LOT of people--maybe most?--an iPad with removable keyboard is the ideal tool for all or most of their computing needs. For the rest of their needs, they can grab that old laptop/tower off of their dusty shelf once in a while.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lk400 Avatar
148 months ago
If I needed a keyboard, wouldn't I have gotten a laptop?

Only you can answer that, Staveb.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
staveb Avatar
148 months ago
If I needed a keyboard, wouldn't I have gotten a laptop?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tdgrn Avatar
148 months ago
I absolutely adore my Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for my iPad Air. Also had one for my mini. They are awesome. I had the Air with keyboard at a meeting today, made it super trivial to jot down notes. The overall form-factor, when both folded up and in use, is super-duper slick. Weighs so little, is a great-feeling keyboard, and extends the overall functionality of my iPad dramatically. Don't always want to lug around my 15" Retina MBP, or bust it out at meetings.

I've done the same thing with my iPad during grad school. It was less expensive for me to use the iPad with my Logitech keyboard to take notes using Evernote than it would have been for me to buy the least expensive MacBook Air. As you know Evernote syncs with everything, so my notes were waiting on me when I got home to work on my iMac. Great combo IMO.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous Freak Avatar
148 months ago
my thoughts exactly! everyone is buying keyboards for their $500 ipads and getting less functionality than an actual laptop....

ipad + keyboard case is $600 before taxes.... throw in a little more and get a macbook air! seriously........... i dont know why people are sacrificing usability by getting an ipad and keyboard....

the folks i know with ipads all have "other machines" (mac and pc) to do "real work" according to them... it makes no sense to me...

I got an iPad because for 95% of my needs in a portable device, the iPad works the same or better than a laptop. I stopped using a laptop within 3 months of getting an iPad.

I got a keyboard for my iPad because, while it may *WORK* without a keyboard, there are enough times that the keyboard is better to make it worth the $100. Not worth the $300 more to get a full laptop, though, or to give up for the laptop the things the iPad is better at. Getting a keyboard makes that 95% jump to 99%. In the past three years, I have only gone "man, I wish I had a laptop instead of this iPad" once - and that one instance would have been solved by having a newer iPad!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...