Hands on: Brydge Pro+ brings a keyboard & trackpad to your iPad Pro
AppleInsider goes hands on with the new Brydge Pro+ keyboard that adds a trackpad to your iPad Pro, as preorders begin.
Brydge Pro+
Apple fulfilled many requests when it added external mouse and trackpad support in iOS 13 and iPadOS. Brydge is one of a few companies that are jumping on this opportunity to develop an optimized solution to boost productivity. Its solution -- Brydge Pro+ -- has just opened for preorders and AppleInsider got an early look.
The Brydge Pro+ is instantly very familiar for anyone who has seen a Brydge product in the past. It is crafted from aluminum with a full set of backlit keys in the center.
Where it differs is the trackpad that has been integrated between the spacebar and the edge of the keyboard.
Brydge Pro+ has an integrated trackpad
The trackpad is sufficiently large, especially on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and has a smooth glass surface on the top, just as Apple's Magic Trackpad does. It felt good as we used the trackpad to navigate through iPadOS on an iPad Pro.
We did notice a bit of a delay at times using the integrated trackpad. Brydge says this delay is due to the Bluetooth connection, which may have been exacerbated by nearby interference when we tested the Brydge Pro+. The small amount of lag that will persist though can improve over time as Apple works further on mouse support in iPadOS.
Brydge Pro+
Brydge's trackpad supports multi-touch, similar to Apple's on a Mac. Brydge assigned a two-finger tap to raise the dock, a triple-finger tap to invoke expose, and a tap in the lower-right corner to go back to the Home screen. This can be all be customized within settings.
In the most recent iOS 13.3 update, Apple also has added support for Hot Corners which brings even more functionality to Brydge Pro+ even before it launches. By just navigating the mouse to one of the corners can perform other actions, such as going back to the Home screen.
Brydge standalone iPad trackpad will follow the Brydge Pro+
Alongside the Brydge Pro+, Brydge is also launching a standalone iPad trackpad. The trackpad is the same size as Apple's trackpads that are integrated into the MacBook Pro. It has a glass top and an aluminum frame that can be charged over USB-C.
The Brydge Pro+ is currently available to order in space grey for both the 12.9-inch and 11-inch iPad Pro for $229.99.
Brydge Pro+
Apple fulfilled many requests when it added external mouse and trackpad support in iOS 13 and iPadOS. Brydge is one of a few companies that are jumping on this opportunity to develop an optimized solution to boost productivity. Its solution -- Brydge Pro+ -- has just opened for preorders and AppleInsider got an early look.
The Brydge Pro+ is instantly very familiar for anyone who has seen a Brydge product in the past. It is crafted from aluminum with a full set of backlit keys in the center.
Where it differs is the trackpad that has been integrated between the spacebar and the edge of the keyboard.
Brydge Pro+ has an integrated trackpad
The trackpad is sufficiently large, especially on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and has a smooth glass surface on the top, just as Apple's Magic Trackpad does. It felt good as we used the trackpad to navigate through iPadOS on an iPad Pro.
We did notice a bit of a delay at times using the integrated trackpad. Brydge says this delay is due to the Bluetooth connection, which may have been exacerbated by nearby interference when we tested the Brydge Pro+. The small amount of lag that will persist though can improve over time as Apple works further on mouse support in iPadOS.
Brydge Pro+
Brydge's trackpad supports multi-touch, similar to Apple's on a Mac. Brydge assigned a two-finger tap to raise the dock, a triple-finger tap to invoke expose, and a tap in the lower-right corner to go back to the Home screen. This can be all be customized within settings.
In the most recent iOS 13.3 update, Apple also has added support for Hot Corners which brings even more functionality to Brydge Pro+ even before it launches. By just navigating the mouse to one of the corners can perform other actions, such as going back to the Home screen.
Brydge standalone iPad trackpad will follow the Brydge Pro+
Alongside the Brydge Pro+, Brydge is also launching a standalone iPad trackpad. The trackpad is the same size as Apple's trackpads that are integrated into the MacBook Pro. It has a glass top and an aluminum frame that can be charged over USB-C.
The Brydge Pro+ is currently available to order in space grey for both the 12.9-inch and 11-inch iPad Pro for $229.99.
Comments
I currently have the Logitech unit and really do not want a trackpad.
The nice thing is the people at this company are thinking and doing interesting things. I would not be surprised if Apple snapped the company up at some point.
Useless (for me).
A tablet has as its unique selling point the combination of easy changing the orientation (portrait, landscape) and having its controls virtualized on the touchscreen: present if needed, absent if not. So why turn an excellent tablet into a mediocre notebook by adding a keyboard cover?
I have had the first 12.9" iPad, a Surface Pro 3 and a Pixel C gather dust while they were new - until I released the iPad from its Logitech clam-shell and the Pixel C from its magnetic keyboard. (The Surface seems doomed anyway, though you may find comments in which I considered it the best concept of merging tablet and notebook.)
I'm typing this on a 12.9" iPad in portrait orientation using its screen keyboard. I could pair it with a full-size Bluetooth keyboard (Logitech K760), a folding keyboard, or several others. I also have a MacBook and a MateBook (Huawei's equivalent) within reach.
My comments tend to stand out as lengthy. Yet they get typed in on screen keyboards in portrait orientation, some on standard-size iPads.
Yes, I'm silly. I may even buy this Brydge thing and never use it.
Having just acquired a 16" MBP to replace a 2014 15" I could not be happier with all of the options for docking for sale now and on KickStarter. Initially I was worked up over the dongle business, but after getting some USB to USB-C cables most of the hassle is gone. On the upside I did a clean install and can't find my key for Microsoft Office so I am done with it for good.
and people can’t understand why I like my wired keyboard and don’t think everything possible should be wireless!
i got my wife a Brydge keyboard for her iPad Air and she absolutely loves it - it’s a solid, quality keyboard with good feel and response. This is definitely something I’d consider. I love my iPad for certain things, but for other tasks like word processing or spreadsheets it’s kind of a clunky dog. Hopefully the trackpad support will let iPads bridge that gap (no pun intended)
The next question is what segment will this appeal to and how will it impact MacBook sales? I don't see it impacting the MacBook Pros but more likely the MacBook Airs used by the more casual users who don't need all the power of the full Mac OS.
And, when will we see one for the regular iPads? Now that could appeal to a lot of people - mostly students who use both a tablet (for games and notes) and a laptop for papers, etc. For them the biggest limitation may be the screen size.
Which one? 13" or 15"/16"?