ESR Shift iPad Keyboard Case Review

ESR sent me their Shift keyboard case for 10th/11th gen iPad to review.

The Product

This is an iPad case with a magnetically detachable Bluetooth keyboard and touchpad. The keyboard is backlit, the stand supports both portrait and landscape orientations for the iPad, and there is integrated storage for a stylus. 

I tested this with the 10th gen iPad, but ESR sells this case for all current models of the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

Spoiler

Using an iPad with a keyboard has some drawbacks, but if you want to get more productivity out of your tablet then the Shift keyboard is a great option. 

I especially like that this keyboard attaches and detaches magnetically and seamlessly - when you have the keyboard detached, there's nothing to indicate that this is a keyboard case at all. That flexibility is great, and keeps the portability of the iPad while adding additional functionality.

The design is a close match for the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio but, at the time of writing, costs less than half as much. For less than $100, this keyboard brings a much more usable typing experience to your iPad than the on-screen keyboard and, more importantly, does so without blocking half the screen.

While I personally wouldn’t use this keyboard to type an essay on, I have used it to type this entire review comfortably. 

Physical Dimensions

The case adds minimal bulk around the perimeter of the iPad.

My iPad measures 7.5mm thick with the screen protector I'm using. Adding the case from ESR increases the thickness to 12.7mm, and with the keyboard attached it's 20mm.

Stand

The stand integrated into the case is pretty great. In landscape mode (how it will be used when attached to the keyboard), it can adjust from roughly 103° all the way down to 156°. The stand can be set to any point along this and adjusts freely. Out of the box the hinge has a good amount of resistance, but I will have to see if this loosens over time with heavy use.

At the lowest angle, a secondary flap stabilizes the top of the tablet, which is good if you want to write or draw on with a stylus.

The stand includes a cutout that will hold the tablet up in portrait orientation, which I appreciate for recipes and reading.

Keyboard & Trackpad

The keyboard is extremely usable given the compact form factor it fits into. The keys feel satisfying and ‘clicky’, on par with modern high end laptop keyboards. They aren’t mushy and the keyboard doesn’t have too much flex. Overall, this is about as good of a typing experience you could hope for in this configuration. 

The keys are backlit with adjustable brightness. The backlighting isn’t perfectly even and it has some dim/bright spots, but it’s completely usable and serves its function of making the keys more readable in poor lighting.

Unlike the official Apple folio, the function keys are built in to the top number row and activated with the fn key. This trade off means there’s room for a slightly larger touchpad, but also does require you to activate the fn key for frequent shortcuts like volume and brightness. I think it would be a nice feature if future versions included a “function lock” option, which could permanently toggle between the number row and the shortcuts.

The trackpad is great too. It’s large, smooth, and has no issues recognizing multi-touch gestures for scrolling or navigation through the OS. The click feels good and works the same all across the surface.

You can optionally enable tap to click in the settings on your iPad. This is disabled by default. When enabled, the clicking experience does feel more natural, but I found in my use that the palm rejection wasn’t excellent on this touchpad. Your mileage may vary, but I would recommend using the touch lock option (on the left CMD key) to prevent accidentally moving the cursor around the screen.

Usability & Other Notes

I really appreciate that the keyboard connects magnetically to the rest of the case and can quickly be pulled off for a slimmer setup. While the keyboard makes typing on the iPad much more usable, it also adds some bulk and isn’t something I want to carry around all the time. This lets me use a slim machine for content consumption, and clip the keyboard in if I need to get through my inbox (or write this review).

While the official Apple folio connects via the magnetic pogo connectors on the bottom edge of the iPad, the ESR Shift connects via Bluetooth. Initial pairing is done by holding fn+B and, once paired, it connects instantly when turned on. 

Being a Bluetooth keyboard does mean that it needs to charge, which is handled via a USB-C port on the right edge of the keyboard. It also opens up more flexibility, as this keyboard can still be used when detached. This can be useful if your iPad is mounted vertically with the stand, or if it’s connected to an external display or TV.

In front of the USB port is a small switch to turn the keyboard off when not in use and save battery. It’s labeled with the off and on positions, and colored to clearly indicate which is active. The switch works fine, but it feels a bit cheap compared to the rest of the device, and I wish you could see the position when sitting in front of the keyboard.

Below the right edge of the keys are three small LED indicators for power, caps lock, and a battery indicator. This will light up to indicate when the battery is low. I wish there was a way to check the current charge level before it gets low, but this hasn’t been an issue in my testing as the keyboard hasn’t needed to be charged yet. If the keyboard were to run low while you’re out, it’s extremely convenient that it will use the same charger you’re carrying around for the iPad.

Summary 

Pros: 

• Adds a comfortable keyboard to increase productivity with your iPad
• Reasonably priced
• Quick magnetic attachment for flexibility
• Universal USB-C charging port
• Great slim case (even without the keyboard) with versatile stand built in

Cons:

• Some issues with palm rejection while typing
• Must be charged separately from the iPad
• iPad OS still feels limited with a keyboard and mouse

Competition & Alternatives

Given the nature of this accessory, I think it’s worth looking at the other options available and how they compare.

The obvious alternative will be the first party Apple Magic Keyboard Folio. This premium option has a dedicated function row and, by using the proprietary connection to the pogo pins, doesn’t need to be charged separately; but it also can’t be used when it’s detached from the iPad and isn’t backlit. More importantly, it costs almost as much as the iPad itself, and just doesn’t seem like great value for me personally.

ESR also sell the Flex keyboard case, which is extremely similar to this Shift but has a slot for a stylus along the top edge of the iPad.

Finally, the ESR Rebound Magic Keyboard case mirrors the fancy keyboard stands that Apple has available for the Pro models. This lifts the tablet up slightly above the keyboard on a flexible hinge, where it is supported on its own. If you’re working in cramped environments typing on our lap or a tray table, this is probably an option to consider.