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ESR Ascend Keyboard Case for 2024 iPad Pro (M4) 11 Inch: A Bargain Apple Keyboard Alternative?
Рет қаралды 4,828
Күн бұрынLooking for a keyboard case for your new 2024 iPad Pro and don’t want to pay the big bucks for Apple’s Magic Keyboard? The ESR Ascend Keyboard Case is worth considering! Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/3xak8sX It’s a lot cheaper than the Magic Keyboard, and it has many of the same features. It’s not as cute and lightweight, the design isn’t quite as laptop like, and it requires charging and pairing (which of course the Magic Keyboard does not, due to its use of Apple’s smart connector system), but it does allow portrait use as well as landscape, comes with a light duty protective inner case, and does a better job of storing and protecting Apple Pencil Pro. At less than a quarter of the price of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, there is a lot to love about the Ascend Keyboard Case from ESR!
00:00 Introduction
00:25 ESR Ascend vs Rebound 360 comparison
00:42 Rebound 360 vs Apple Magic Keyboard
00:55 Ascend design
02:21 Ascend inner case
04:21 Ascend outer case
05:20 Charging, pairing and keyboard functionality
07:28 Using the Ascend adjustable stand
09:26 Folio mode and Apple Pencil storage/charging
10:22 Is it worth it?
11:34 Pricing and where to buy
The Ascend Keyboard Case is available directly from ESR as well as from Amazon, although it is typically priced lower on Amazon. It comes in a single color currently, the black version shown in this review, and you can buy it from Amazon for $69.99. Many thanks to the folks at ESR for sending me out these samples to review.
Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/3xak8sX
Thanks for watching, and have a wonderful day!
#ipadpro2024
@TheOnlyDip Ай бұрын
Great review. I ended up going with this case for my iPad M4. I not only really value the weight factor over the Rebound but also the function keys at the top to control brightness, volume, video, etc - these are truly game changing for me in a keyboard!
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
Yep! The Ascend has some definite pros over the Rebound 360…it all depends on what you are looking for in a keyboard case for your iPad Pro, and what your budget is. FYI, I just finished filming a review for the Logitech Combo Touch iPad Pro M4 keyboard case, and it has a lot of similarities with the Ascend…
@fredro833 2 ай бұрын
For the price it’s great. I got the 11” to use as a tablet/mini laptop so there’s days I strictly want this as a tablet. If I ever want to use the keyboard functionality, I don’t want to spend $300 to use that every now and then. For $300 I can get a keyboard case, a folio type case, Apple Pencil pro etc etc and use them all in different ways.
@TheTechReviewer 2 ай бұрын
Excellent point!!
@marymadigan9707 2 ай бұрын
Nice review as always, a good option especially with the price. Have a fantastic weekend 😊
@TheTechReviewer 2 ай бұрын
Thanks, Mary! Really appreciate your loyal support, as always. Personally, I think that the Rebound 360 is probably the better product (and the Magic Keyboard is the very best if you can handle the sky high price, the lack of a protective inner case, and don’t need portrait support), but the Ascend comes in at a very attractive price point!! Have a fabulous weekend!! ☀️⛱️
@lockdown11b 27 күн бұрын
Works better in the lap because it doesn’t tip over like the magic keyboard.
@TheTechReviewer 27 күн бұрын
It's true...it won't tip. But it has a much bigger footprint...
@dojan 2 ай бұрын
I have the ESR shift case. Will I need to change out the iPad case or can I use the same case between the shift and either keyboard by ESR?
@TheTechReviewer 2 ай бұрын
Hi @dojan! Tragically, neither the Ascend keyboard case or the Rebound 360 keyboard case will work with the inner case from the Shift. They are all mutually incompatible. I think the reason is that the design of the products requires the magnets to be in different configurations in order to meet the design specs of the cases. That's the only reason that makes any sense...I doubt ESR is doing this just to torture you!!
@Hey-gs8pz Ай бұрын
@@TheTechReviewer Hey there, super love your channel and I newly subscribed.. Your reviews are quite helpful. I know you might have tried this already so I hope you could give some insight. You've done a review on the Hybrid 360 (the one with no keyboard) and I feel like they have much of a closer design factor with the ESR Ascend Keyboard. I was wondering if at least some part of the lower magnet of using the ESR Ascend inner case would at least stick to the outer case of the Rebound Hybrid? Or even the other way around (though I am aware the hybrid 360 has the clear inner case)... I would love to have the convenience of using different outer cases without having to constantly change inner case, even if some part of magnet sticking will be compromised. Lol... Hopefully they could make a one and done solution in the future.
@Hey-gs8pz Ай бұрын
@@TheTechReviewer Addendum: I was contemplating on which keyboard case to get hence me stumbling upon your channel. Currently just have the Rebound Hybrid 360 (no keyboard)... I was curious and ran through some fridge magnets on the innercase and outercase, where I thought it was one long strip of a magnet it's just key circle (or small shape) magnets in certain areas of both the inner and outer cases....... Haha, mhmm could be a deliberate design choice by ESR so it can't be used interchangeably :/ .
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
Really don't know...it's a mystery! But I can't imagine ESR is unaware of the situation. And mix and match compatibility should make more people buy, rather than less, so I doubt this is a deliberate decision on their part...
@jasontaycs7195 Ай бұрын
Can I fold the keyboard part of the Ascend case behind like a regular non-keyboard case? I don't always want to use a keyboard and usually hold it in my hands for on-the-go photo editing.
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
You could…but I can’t imagine why you would want to. It’s a much better idea to just detach the magnetic inner case from the outer keyboard case and hold that in your hands. If you fold the keyboard around the back and try to hold it that way, you’ll be touching the keys. Not optimal.
@mythicalism1468 Ай бұрын
Can you fold the keyboard behind the iPad if I want to use it as a tablet without taking it out of the outer case? And if it can fold around the back does it stop registering inputs?
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
Hi! Yes, you can fold the keyboard of the Ascend all the way to the back of the tablet and hold it that way. However, I really wouldn't recommend it. There is only a small amount of magnetic attraction in this position and the keyboard won't be held strongly against the back of the iPad Pro inner case when it is folded back in that position. Plus, the keyboard will continue to be operational in that position (registering inputs), so it is generally a bad idea. But please keep in mind that with the design of the Ascend, you can remove your iPad Pro from the keyboard section of the Ascend and use it in its magnetically attachable/detachable inner case when you don't need keyboard functionality. It's a nice little case...has a pleasant hand feel and gives you basic scratch and bump protection for your iPad Pro. Plus, holding your iPad Pro in the inner case is much slimmer and more pleasing than trying to hold the iPad Pro in its inner case with the keyboard section folded to the back. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
@mythicalism1468 Ай бұрын
@@TheTechReviewer Thanks for the detailed response 🙏 I just subscribed
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
@mythicalism1468 Thanks for the sub! And happy to help. Also, I was curious about your question after I tested it on the Ascend case, so I tried it out on the Logitech Combo Touch case whose review I just finished and which will go live this Friday evening US time. With the Combo Touch, you can fold back the keyboard all the way to the back and it sticks magnetically much better than the Ascend does. It also stops registering inputs. However, just like with the Ascend, I question why you would ever want to do that, because you also have the superior option of simply magnetically detaching the keyboard, which works much better. 😊
@mythicalism1468 Ай бұрын
@@TheTechReviewer Hi, the reason why this feature is useful for me is as a student whose commute is around 2 hours daily in a usually packed train, is that I wouldnt have space to keep the detached keyboard anywhere if I want to use the ipad in a handheld mode, and besides it also gives me a sense of security knowing I won't lose it the 400 dollar keyboard haha. Also as I have to move around a lot in between classes and whilst I do have space to place my ipad down, our workspace is already cramped enough😆😆😆
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
You make an excellent case as to why that feature is needed!! So, check out my review on the Logitech Combo Touch, which goes live at 5 pm Eastern Standard Time Friday. It’s an excellent keyboard case and it might meet your needs very well!!
@gamingvariation1323 2 ай бұрын
Hey for the iPad Pro 13 inch would you reccomend esr ascend or rebound?
@TheTechReviewer 2 ай бұрын
Hi @gamingvariation1323. Nice to hear from you! So, I don’t have the 13 inch iPad Pro 2024, just the 11, but I imagine the accessories for the 2 products are pretty similar. Other than price, I think that the one area where the Ascend is going to win out over the Rebound 360 is weight. And with a bigger iPad size, everything is going to weigh more, of course, so weight differences may be even more important for the 13 inch than they are for the 11 inch. But weight and price aside, I think the Rebound 360 is the better product. With its cantilever design, it’s much more similar to the Magic Keyboard. Nicer keyboard feeling as well (although smaller trackpad). Hope this helps!!!
@PLANETWATERMELON Ай бұрын
I really don’t understand how this case got a function row and a larger trackpad than their own Rebound case. Doesn’t make any sense. If the Rebound case had a function row it would be more competitive with the Apple keyboard case.
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
I hear you...it was puzzling to me at first as well. So, the reason why the Ascend is able to pack so much more in terms of functionality into its keyboard and trackpad area than the more expensive Rebound is because of the design of the stand. The Rebound uses a cantilever design that is very similar to Apple's Magic Keyboard. It's really cool, but because the iPad Pro hangs over the keyboard a bit, it results in less space overall. With the Ascend, the stand design is different, and leaves the keyboard/trackpad area completely open.
@PLANETWATERMELON 29 күн бұрын
@@TheTechReviewer Except for Apple just came out with a Magic Keyboard with a function key row. I think the real reason is that Apple owns the patent for a cantilever design with function key row which they won’t allow third party manufacturers to do yet.
@TheTechReviewer 29 күн бұрын
So, two things: 😊 1. Apple's Magic Keyboard has a better cantilever design than the Rebound. There is more flexibility in terms of the angles you can put your iPad Pro in. 2. The ESR Rebound Keyboard case for the 13 inch iPad Pro M4 has a function key row...with the additional space that the 13 inch model gives you, ESR was able to squeeze in a function row...
@lockdown11b 27 күн бұрын
Three rimes as much and offers much less!
@TheTechReviewer 27 күн бұрын
It is certainly a bargain in comparison with Apple's Magic Keyboard...no question there!! Do you have the Ascend, @lockdown11b? Or planning to get it?
@loitersquadX Ай бұрын
Will never spend over 300 for a stupid ass keyboard i need a budget pen as well cuz apple charges alot
@TheTechReviewer Ай бұрын
Well, it sounds like the Ascend is a good choice for you! 😊 ESR also offers a digital stylus, but it won't magnetically attach and charge to the M4 iPad Pro models...you have to charge it via USB-C. Plus, it doesn't offer all the functionality of the new Apple Pencil Pro...
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