Elusive Obviousness

Apr 23

*The new iPad Pro Magic Keyboard activates the display & FaceID only when the user starts angling the display towards them.*

From Federico Viticci:

“If you pay attention when lifting the iPad, you’ll notice that the display turns on as soon as the iPad is detached from one half of the Magic Keyboard’s back cover; a few moments later, the Face ID sensor is activated and starts scanning. In practice, this isn’t just a delightful detail that proves Apple’s proverbial integration of hardware and software – it also means that by the time you’re done adjusting the iPad’s viewing angle, the iPad will have already authenticated you. At that point, it’s just a matter of pressing the space bar to dismiss the Lock screen and start working.”

Details like this highlight the amount of finesse that goes into software and hardware integration at Apple. Discovering and capturing that elusive obviousness in design has always been a signature in Apple’s products¹.

Update: This appears only to be the case the first time the display is opened out from a closed position. Once the iPad Pro is setup, reconnecting it entirely to the back cover & tilting it forwards does not reactivate the display.