The new Smart Keyboard Folio is awful…I need one like the OLD keyboard folio

When I first bought my new iPad in August 2021, we spent an arm and a leg to buy the $349 keyboard because we didn’t know there were any other options from Apple. I had a 1st generation 12.9” iPad Pro with the soft keyboard, and LOVED it. As an artist, I liked the fact that I could flip the cover around and use it while holding it, or use it flat on the table. Super easy.

You CANNOT do this with the $349 keyboard. I didn’t realize this until after I’d had it for almost a month, because life got in the way. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, or I missed something. I use my iPad for Shapr3D CAD with the pencil, and frequently I’m sitting on the couch with my iPad creating. I had to remove it from they keyboard to use it this way.

Yesterday, I learned from a friend who works for Apple that they have the Smart Keyboard Folio, and I was THRILLED. I thought “I’ll get my beloved form factor back.” WRONG. I like the feel of this keyboard, it weighs probably a third of the other one, but when I flip it around, the KEYS are on the back, and I’m afraid when pressing the keys on the back while holding the iPad like a notepad, I’ll damage them. I’ve had to replace my previous keyboard twice; once Apple replaced it at no charge, but the second time I had to buy a new $149 keyboard. My husband’s keyboard stopped working a year ago and cannot be replaced because you simply can’t get them anymore.

We both upgraded our iPads to these new ones, and they were REALLY expensive…more than one of my last laptops. The keyboard functionality is critical to what we do. But I need the flexibility to use it like a notepad while using the pencil to draw or take notes; otherwise, it doesn’t fit my needs.

Is there a third-party keyboard that’s exactly like the old Apple soft keyboard folio for the new iPad Pro? I want it to not have the keys on the back when the folio is folded around to the backside.