iPad Pro users are experiencing battery issues, apparently becuase of the new Magic Keyboard

The Magic Keyboard is Apple’s new accessory for iPad Pro users. It has a floating cantilever design, which makes it easier for you to attach iPad Pro magnetically and adjust it to the perfect viewing angle that is best for you. According to Apple, the new Magic Keyboard is the best typing experience ever on the iPad.

However, some iPad Pro users seem to be quite unhappy with Apple’s new Magic Keyboard as the keyboard accessory is causing excessive battery drain when the backlighting is enabled. Some users also complaining that the excessive battery drain is noticeable even when the iPad is idle and not in use. Another complaint that some users are rasing is that the keyboard’s backlight stay lit up even though the iPad is asleep(via 9to5mac).

According to Apple Insight blog:

The problem isn’t limited to a specific build of iPadOS, or running a beta version based on feedback from others. I am running the latest developer beta version of iPadOS and have tested this issue with it and the previous version. This is one of the first things I wanted to rule out.

Apple, however, hasn’t acknowledged the issue, so it’s not really clear whether it’s a software or hardware issue. Interestingly, replacing the Magic Keyboard had solved the excessive battery drain issue, so the likelihood is that Apple shipped some faulty Magic Keyboard.

The Apple Insight blog said pretty much the same thing:

The only way to finish testing my theory was to get another one and see if it yielded better results. I did that late last week and I have been testing it while finishing up this article and doing some other work over the last two days. I started off by typing with the key backlight off and using the trackpad as I go through and edit this and another article. It appears that my battery life with this Magic Keyboard is far better than my first. I only dropped only 6% in an hour of solid use. While this isn’t the same performance as the Smart Keyboard Folio, it still fits in the 10 hour battery window we expect from the iPad Pro.

However, since most Apple stores are currently closed at this moment due to COVID-19, you can request hardware replacements through the Apple online support channels if you’re experiencing any of the aforementioned issues.