Hi, this is GENo07 from ITLover0.
This post is about Logitech Combo Touch review. Logitech Combo Touch is a keyboard that most people think of as another solution for the Apple’s Magic Keyboard. Logitech Combo touch is a ‘keyboard case with track pad and Smart Connector technology that can be attached and removed’. As I said, it is really similar to the Apple’s Magic Keyboard. For people who don’t know about Apple’s Magic Keyboard, you can think of it as an iPad keyboard with trackpad. The Logitech Combo Touch in Apple store is worth 199.5 CAD for iPad 8th generation, 209.5 CAD for iPad Air, and 249.5 CAD for iPad Pro.
The Magic Keyboard only allowed you to use it for iPad Pro 11inch, iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro 12.9 inch 3rd and 4th generation which made it disappointing for users who use iPad Pro 2nd generation, iPad Air 3rd generation, and iPad 8th generation. However, Logitech combo touch is able to use in iPad 7th and 8th generation, iPad Air 3rd and 4th generation, iPad pro 10.5 inch, and iPad Pro 11inch. So to summarize, it means it can be used in various iPads compared to the Magic Keyboard
Those were simple facts about Logitech Combo touch before we go in to the review. Now, lets jump right in to the review and the pros and cons of this product.
Logitech Combo Touch’s Advantages/Benefits
The first benefit is the presence of the trackpad. Rugged polio and smart keyboard case are all good cases for iPad but their common disadvantage was the absence of trackpad in their keyboard.(Smart polio keyboard also shares the same disadvantage.)
When the smart keyboard case first came out, iPad used iOS not iPadOS so it was hard to use the trackpad but it still had the disadvantage of breaking the work flow because you had to tap the screen and move your fingers’ position while using the keyboard. When the iPadOS 13.4 came out, it started to support trackpad and mouse and that was when the Magic Keyboard came out. I didn’t review it before but I really liked it because of the fact that it had a trackpad. However it still had the defects that you weren’t able to use it with the iPads that had the old chassis and it had a wonderful price of 350~450 dollars. This was one of the reason why people didn’t buy it a lot.
Then, the Logitech Combo Touch came out with the trackpad. It felt like the trackpads where only given to expensive keyboards but since it came with the Combo Touch which is way cheaper than the Magic Keyboard, which attracted my IT sense. The trackpad is not good as the macOS but it is still a really good function while using the iPadOS. I will tell you a bit later but this also has some disadvantages.
The second good part is about the design. Some people might feel different about it and disagree but really liked the design because of its plain and simple design (The case is rugged but it is a neat kind of rugged). That is why I also liked the Magic Keyboard’s design. I also think that the most simple color for these kind of products is gray and this Combo Touch is also a gray color.
The third benefit is the function keys on the top. The expensive Magic Keyboard doesn’t have these keys but the Combo Touch has it which I thought was very ironic. Magic keyboard helps the users maintain the workflow and keep it but when you want to change the volume or the brightness, you have to touch the screen which is going to break your flow. However, the top function keys on the Combo Touch prevents those breaks and lets you control the volume and brightness using those keys. You can’t use the Fn key which that is a disadvantage though.
The fourth advantage is the price. It is true that $150 is not a cheap price. But compared to the Magic Keyboard, it is really cheap with those functions you can use. If you compare it to the K380 which is also famous for its really really cheap price and bluetooth connection, it feels like the $150 is worth the quality and the trackpad. If this was the way of Apple and Logitech’s way of selling this product, then I think that it worked well.
I think that is pretty much all of the advantages of the Logitech Combo Touch. Now, lets review the disadvantages.
Logitech Combo Touch’s Disadvantage/Flaws
The first flaw is the trackpad. Well I said that the presence of the trackpad was a benefit for this keyboard. But the quality of the trackpad was the problem. Magic Keyboard’s trackpad is really smooth and moves fast. This makes it easy and good to use the Magic Keyboard. But for Combo Touch, I was able to sometimes feel the disconnection of the trackpad and the latency was slower than the Magic Keyboard which made it uncomfortable. Sometimes, the trackpad would sense the three finger gesture as a two finger gesture and do the wrong command. The trackpad’s quality was disappointing.
The second flaw is the intermittent disconnection. There were situations where the backlight would stay on but the keyboard wouldn’t work. Then, you have to disconnect the Smart Connector and connect it again but it is still a big flaw. The only thing we can do is to hope that Logitech will fix it with their software.
The third disadvantage is the keyboard’s magnet. I don’t think the iron powders would stick on it but because of the weak magnet, when you lift the iPad/case, it won’t follow up and drop to the ground. I dropped it 4 times just because of that (4 times in 10days….). If you use it for some time then you figure out a way to not drop it.
The fourth disadvantage is the heavy weight. This is a the iffy part. My laptop(LG gram) weighs about 1100g but if I carry iPad + Crayon + Logitech Combo Touch, then it weighs way more. This means it’s not worth carrying around. Even the Magic Keyboard feels light compared to this.
Summary
We have found out the four advantages and four disadvantages of the Logitech Combo Touch. Lets give it a final review. The decent feeling when you type, the presence of trackpad, the top function keys and other features makes it a good keyboard to use with the iPad series. It also has a reasonable price of 150 dollars. However, the low quality of trackpad, unstabilized connection, weak magnet, and heavy weight makes the consumers hesitate. It is not worth replacing laptops like Ultrabook with it. But it still has the value of buying because of the great productivity the iPad apps offer. So the final answer is “buy it if you know for what purpose you need it”. If you haven’t decided why you need and iPad and these types of keyboard, then don’t buy it because you are That is the end of our Logitech Combo Touch review
This post was about the Logitech Combo Touch review and comparing some features with the Apple Magic Keyboard. This post contains our very personal thoughts so keep that in mind. That is the end of today’s review, and I will see you later. Bye!
(We have a Korean youtube post for the typing sound of Logitech Combo Touch. Check it if you are wondering how it sounds like! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ8_U9EMYYU)
(For Logitech Combo Touch Troubleshoot, go to http://mtm.tbw.mybluehost.me/logitech-combo-touch-troubleshoot-fixes-most-problems/)
