Ahead of the holiday shopping season, Zagg today has announced a new Slim Book keyboard case for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. The new case also includes a dedicated holder for the Apple Pencil and is available now for $119.99…

Zagg has long been a solid option for third-party keyboard cases, though it faces stiff competition from Apple’s own Smart Keyboard. The Zagg Slim Book for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro does have a few edges over Apple, though, if you’re okay stepping outside of Apple’s ecosystem.

The Slim Book offers backlit keys, making typing in dim environments easier, while there’s also the aforementioned Apple Pencil holder to help keep track of your stylus.

In terms of design, Zagg says the Slim Book features a “fabric weave exterior” that helps protect your iPad from drops and spills:

The stylish Slim Book includes a fabric weave exterior, black matte frame, and satin black keys. Not only does it look great in any environment, the stiff rubber overmold absorbs impact and can withstand drops up to one meter. And the spill-proof fabric exterior doesn’t show wear and tear, so you can look professional in the office, even if you’ve been working in the wild.

Zagg’s Slim Book is also relatively versatile offering a keyboard mode, a case mode that detaches the actual keyboard, and a video mode that uses the keyboard as a stand to make it easier to watch videos.

As for battery life, the Slim Book features 2 years of battery life per charge based on “regular use of one-hour per day.” Of course, Apple’s Smart Keyboard connects to the iPad Pro via the Smart Connector, so there’s no need to ever charge.

The Zagg Slim Book for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro comes in at $119.99, which is $40 cheaper than the Apple Smart Keyboard. It’s available now from Zagg’s website.

Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: