Apple keyboard failures extend to iPad Pro too

My iPad Pro 10.5”, along with the keyboard are eight months old, and the keyboard has started flaking out (connectivity, internal wiring failures, ?).
It’s still under warranty (also have AppleCare+), but I wonder if anyone has experience with the process and cost of getting a replacement?

it seems to be a thing

I tried getting my girlfriend’s 10.5 keyboard replaced after a week that warranty ended. It was having problem months ago but she was tolerating it. But it has gotten worst as time goes by. I tried having it replaced in Apple Store HK. They don’t want to replace it because of the lapsed warranty but I told them that I already called Apple Support and was told it can be replaced. They said they will replace it with a new keyboard but they’re only giving me a US$20 discount with a new one. They have to take the defective keyboard in that case so they were recommending that I should just buy the new keyboard so I can keep both.

I was told that only the old iPad keyboard is due for extended warranty. I think they might replace yours for free since it is still under warranty.

P.S.
You guys are lucky, they wouldn’t sell me AppleCare+ because I live in a country without an official Apple Store. Even if I fly in HK they still wouldn’t sell it to me because if I take home the device in my country, the official Apple reseller wouldn’t honor the AppleCare+.

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I have had the keyboard on my old iPad Pro replaced because it would not connect most of the time. It was out of warranty but the phone support allowed me to mail it to them, and they sent a free replacement. Last week, I also got my new folio keyboard replaced in an Apple Store because the space bar would not always register.

Ironically, I have not had any problems with my 2017 MacBook Pro’s keyboard!

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@JohnAtl -
The Smart Keyboard on my 9.7" iPad Pro, purchased in March 2016, has been replaced twice. First replacement was a few months after purchase; the second replacement was after the original warranty expired but within Apple’s extended warranty program for the Smart Keyboard.

Each time there was no cost. I simply went to an Apple Store Genius Bar appointment. After briefly checking out the iPad and the keyboard, the keyboard was replaced on the spot. Apple took the old keyboard. The new keyboard came in a plain brown box (standard practice for a replacement item), but it was new, not a refurbished unit.

For the second replacement it helped that I went to the store prepared with several screenshots of error messages displayed in various Apple apps - Notebook, Mail, etc. The Apple Store reps were not particularly interested in errors during third-party apps. I had performed various diagnostic steps, so I gave the Genius Bar rep a list of what I did. These included updating to the latest IOS version, rebooting the iPad, re-connecting the keyboard, etc.

These days it is a bit more involved to get a Genius Bar appointment. It’s probably best to go to Apple’s support website (https://getsupport.apple.com/ or call Apple Care (1-800-Myapple). Mention “hardware problem”; this will eventually lead to the offer of a Genius Bar appointment.

Hope this helps!

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…And extends to my Apple Magic Keyboard with numbers pad that I purchased with the 2017 iMac in December 2017 is just stating to have issues. Right arrow key which I use extensively with Excel is starting to fail…have press really hard multiple times to get it to work.

UPDATE: Took magic keyboard to Apple store. Not sure why i didn’t realize this but was covered under my AppleCare+ I purchased with the iMac. They immediately gave me a new keyboard. Entire process took 5 minutes. While I don’t think the keyboard should have failed in a year’s time, I am happy to have a (new) working keyboard as i am otherwise a big fan of both the magic keyboard and trackpad.

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I’m surprised not to have seen more posts about the iPad pro smart keyboard. Or is it just me.

I purchased my 10.5" ipad pro with smart keyboard and pencil in June 2017. After about 10 months the keyboard stopped working, and the ipad displayed “this accessory not supported” dialogs. I took it to the apple store, they acknowledged the fault and replaced the keyboard. But did not issue a receipt or indicate that the warranty was extended. Now less than one year later, exactly the same has happened again. I have an expensive and unusable keyboard. I believe that Apple is aware that it is substandard.
I am going to try Apple support, and will report back.

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Not sure where you are but we had much better luck going in to the Apple Store in Brisbane than with phone and online support in Australia.

I too have had two iPad Pro keyboard replacements after it refused to connect (first gen iPad Pro) and then some keys stopped responding on the Folio Keyboard that I got for the 2018 model, back in January, after only 2 months of use. Thankfully they were both immediately replaced.

I hardly every use it too, most of the time it is kept safely in a cupboard and I use a normal cover because I prefer the profile and take my MacBook with me to work. I tend to only use it when I go travelling, and it has failed me twice when I needed it most and didn’t have a laptop with me on a business trip.

Ugh. That is the killer. For what we spend on this (ostensibly Pro) equipment, we should be able to rely on it.

The apparent profit margin on the keyboards is salt in the wound. For an idea of Apple’s production cost see:

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We had trouble with having it replaced as well. Especially ours is a few weeks out of warranty. We were told that only the 9.7 iPad Pro keyboard has problems and since ours is a 10.5, it’s not for free replacement. We were asked to pay for a new one for a discount of $25.

An Apple representative thru AppleCare said she’ll get back to me if she if she can do something. But it’s been 4 months now and I haven’t heard from her again.

Well apple support in the apple store here in Brisbane have agreed to replace the keyboard for the second time without charge. I am sure this ipad keyboard issue is not an isolated problem, but props to them for taking responsibility

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They’re great there. See my experience at AppleCare experience

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I had no luck, they offered me exchange for 168€