An unexpected but much-requested new feature may be added to the 2020 iPad Pro. Apple may finally be ready to add an accessory that some have been waiting for: a keyboard with touchpad.

The news comes from "a person familiar with the matter," as scooped by The Information. Apple is already working with renowned Taiwanese contractor Foxconn Technology to prepare "mass production" of keyboard accessories.

The touchpad will not be provided free of charge, of course, but as part of the iPad keyboard accessories. In particular, the iPad keyboard with touchpad will be released along with the iPad Pro, which means that the regular $329 iPad will remain in the casual tablet world, not a laptop replacement.

This update to the iPad keyboard is much like the Brydge Pro+ keyboard with touchpad. iPad has made a small improvement in productivity with the 2019 iPad OS, which forks iOS and allows better multitasking.

We are still waiting for the 2020 iPad Pro with three rear-facing cameras for AR tricks and other features. A 5G iPad Pro with a faster CPU is also expected this year.

These updates, in my opinion, are only half of the innovation and evolution that the iPad needs. The iPad OS still restricts apps to run within apps. Often desktop-level apps work better simply because some apps are more powerful together, which streamers and podcasters know all too well.

Developer Steve Troughton-Smith tweeted on February 26, "iOS 13.4 is definitely a "keyboard release": . . if the new iPad comes out at the March event, Apple will sell the keyboard story. A shiny new Smart Keyboard seems certain."

He followed it up with something that does not match The Information's report: "Even if a trackpad is added to the next Smart Keyboard, there is no indication that the OS is prepared to work well with a trackpad.

If the iPad Pro were to include a touchpad, it would not only be a MacBook Pro-like replacement, but also an alternative to the Microsoft Surface Pro, which has a touchpad on its keyboard from the start.