iPads are popular in the market and that is because of the iPadOS platform that is more polished and resourceful than Android on a tablet. But like every other Apple product, owning an iPad and its official set of accessories like keyboard, stylus or Apple Pencil comes at a high cost.
That’s why we have been on the hunt for a series of affordable Apple-compatible gadgets that ensures you can own an iPad and still feel happy with your pocket and burn a hole in it. So, if you are in the market to buy an iPad and don’t want to splurge on its premium accessories, here’s what we recommend you to consider:
5 Budget Apple iPad Accessories And Tricks We Tried And It Works
Buy The Wi-Fi iPad Model With 64GB
You might say we’re crazy but buying the 64GB iPad Wi-Fi only model isn’t a bad idea at all. In fact, buying the base variant of iPad allows you to save extra money that the LTE model would need and use that to buy an external USB drive like the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go USB C drive now that all the iPad models support the connectivity. We did this for our own personal iPad and realised that you can save up to Rs 6,000 which you can then invest in a 128GB/256GB external drive and get the extra storage for your iPad.
SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go
SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go adopts the both USB 3.1 and USB C ports on either side of the drive. The Drive Go is a boon because on one side you have the PC-type connector to import the files, while you transfer it to an Android or an iPhone in quick time.
Our synthetic tests using tools like CrystalDiskMark gave us read speeds of over 300MB/sec which is closer to the claimed numbers and delivers quick file transfers when you put it through the real-life tests.
Typecase Keyboard for iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro
Buying a keyboard for iPads that do not have Magic written next to it was a hard task. We had to explore and widen our search in a big way and finally nailed onto the keyboard case from a brand called Typecase. For under Rs 10,000 you get a versatile keyboard with multiple modes, multi-colour backlight support, and a rugged package.
The only difference is that the keyboard needs to be charged via the USB C port which itself lasts for a week so not really a big drawback. The keys are tactile and their travel is pretty good which allows you to type and type for long hours. The trackpad is small in size so maneuvering it is a challenge.
Having said that, we have used it for work travel purposes and it served us quite well. For the price tag, it was quite a surprise.
The Ideal Budget Apple Pencil
Apple has a thing for its own accessories and the experience of using them is unmatched. However, not many people want to spend Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 on its original Apple Pencil and that’s where you have a multitude of brands offering stylus supporting iPads that cost as low as Rs 2,000 in the market. Once again, the touch input doesn’t let you down but the pressure sensitive features are missing which is expected. Also, you have to charge them separately and connect the standard way using the Bluetooth settings of the iPad.
Get A Mouse, If You Really Need One
The affordable keyboards for iPad don’t have a reliable trackpad so buying a mouse may not be the worst idea. We paired a few wireless mice with our iPad unit and felt the work output is far more effective than browsing through the trackpad. Like we said, Apple tunes its software to run well with the Magic Keyboard which is why the trackpad also works smoothly. But for other third-party accessories the experience can be sluggish so a mouse helps you negate that aspect.
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