Combined Weight of a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a Magic Keyboard Is Heavier Than a 13-inch MacBook Air

Apple hasn't specified the weight of its new Magic Keyboard, but a MacRumors reader who received their unit early has weighed the larger model for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and found it to be 710 grams. That makes the Magic Keyboard heavier than the ‌iPad Pro‌, which weighs 641 grams.

EBC4B2D2 E53F 4CFC AA99 12E3605F206B

Image by OzMoon

It's not surprising that the keyboard has to have some heft to counterbalance a connected ‌iPad Pro‌ and provide a sturdy base for working on. But that makes their combined weight 1,351 grams, which is heavier than a 13-inch MacBook Air (1,290 grams) and closer to the weight of a 13-inch MacBook Pro (1,370 grams).

So if you were expecting a 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and Magic Keyboard to be a lighter option than using a laptop when you're on the road, then it's worth being aware that that's not necessarily going to be the case. On the other hand, 9to5Mac claims the Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ weighs 601 grams, which would mean that their combined weight would be 1,072 grams. That's lighter than any MacBook that Apple currently sells.

In our upcoming review of the new Magic Keyboard, we'll look at weight considerations, portability, and more. Apple's Magic Keyboard includes a floating cantilevered design for viewing angles, a backlit keyboard with scissor-switch keys, and an integrated trackpad. You can order one for the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ for $299, and for the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ for $349 on Apple.com.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...

Top Rated Comments

TPALTony Avatar
73 months ago
And the combined weight of an SUV and a trailer is more than that of a pick up truck... But just like I can drive the SUV without the trailer, I can use the iPad without the keyboard...

So the use cases are still very much there for this combination. Take the keyboard when you need it...

How does the weight compare to a Surface with a keyboard?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
unchecked Avatar
73 months ago

This is a perfect example of today's empty "news" business.

Modularity has always had a penalty in size. That's not even remotely news in a design perspective.

Further the point of the keyboard is to provide tablet users with a desktop option for those who might want it . Most likely at their desk, not on the go. That said, you might occasionally take it on the go, not regularly.

If you always or regularly need a keyboard on the go, well.....the concept of a laptop such as.....the MacBook Air exists.

No sugar Sherlock. Actual news please. Not click-chasing to nowhere...
This IS actual news. We're only learning about the weight of the keyboard today. The specs aren't listed on the Apple store either.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jessemcgoldrick Avatar
73 months ago
Honestly I’m gutted they got rid of the 12” Macbook it was the ultimate portable work device for 90% of people. I bought the last fully upgraded model with mobile i7 processor, 16gb ram etc, honestly it is still hands down the best portable device for work when partnered with a larger screen iPhone. I also have a 2018 iPad Pro and a 2019 iPad Mini and I can tell you I reach for the 12” Macbook every single time if I have to get any work done on the move. The iPad pro performance just isn’t made good use of when combined with all the workflow shortcomings of iOS. An example; I’ve been doing some work editing huge 100mp+ image files in Affinity with multiple layers. On the 12” Macbook everything works great, no lag. On a iPad Pro it crashes often and it just can’t deal with the image files which are like 1gb or larger.

In iOS something as simple as wanting to crop an image file stored in Files is a headache. Markdown and Shortcuts no longer includes a crop interface so I have to either copy in to the Photos app, edit, save back to files, delete from Photos App, or I have to use a third party app which will first usually duplicate the file to it’s own file type for editing etc. On the 12” Macbook Preview does everything I need quickly and easily. There are countless examples of simple tasks that are still too cumbersome in iOS.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
phenste Avatar
73 months ago
Genuinely very happy about this. Anyone who uses a Smart Keyboard Folio knows that they are WAY too susceptible to falling backward because virtually all of the weight is in the iPad. Seems like the added heft on the bottom will balance that out and make this (typing on my 11” Pro, waiting on a Smart pre-order) feel much more genuinely like a laptop replacement.

Also, cannot WAIT for backlit keys

(one more thing: if people are worried about this weighing too much…just remember, Apple laptops weighed 7+ lbs once upon a time ;-)
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supertiffany Avatar
73 months ago
well the iPad Pro

offers

better performance
better battery
better screen
better speakers



than the macbook air

if anything it is the macbook air that is overweight compared to the performance it offers and just lighter by a few grams compared to the macbook pro and ipad pro.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleTO Avatar
73 months ago
In Canada, the Magic Keyboard for the 12.9 inch costs $449, and the regular iPad costs $429. How does this even remotely make sense?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)