Brother's Entire Lineup of Mobile Printers Now Certified by Apple's Made for iPhone Program

[MacRumors]

Brother today announced that every series in its mobile printer lineup now features at least one model certified by Apple's MFi Program.

MFi-certified printers are fully compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, enabling users to print instantly from an iOS device via Bluetooth, without the need to download special drivers. That's in addition to existing AirPrint support on select Brother printers for wireless printing from an iOS device over a Wi-Fi network.

Brother's MFi-certified models include the RuggedJet RJ-2050, RJ-2150, RJ-3050Ai, RJ-3150Ai, RJ-4030Ai, PocketJet 763MFi, and M-Print MW145MFi and MW260MFi. Look for the "Made for iPhone, iPad, and iPod" logo on the box.

Brother has a wide variety of mobile printers available to purchase on its website, with some models costing upwards of $1,000.

Article Link: Brother's Entire Lineup of Mobile Printers Now Certified by Apple's Made for iPhone Program

 

[555gallardo]

Congrats, bro! :-D

 

[pdaholic]

Congrats, bro! :-D

Sounds like Apple and this printer company have a bromance!

 

[H2SO4]

Always wondered if under the skin these are the same as Epson printers, (which I can’t stand).

 

[dontwalkhand]

Always wondered if under the skin these are the same as Epson printers, (which I can’t stand).

Thankfully not. My Brother printers have always worked tiredlessly for years and years.

Whereas my Epsons always die after 3 months. Epsons suck.

 

[Stefan johansson]

Soo,made for iPhone printers? Any desktop printer connected to a wi-fi network will most likely work with iPhones and iPads. I use an old HP photo smart with airplay,never had any problems caused by hardware or printing software.

 

[555gallardo]

Always wondered if under the skin these are the same as Epson printers, (which I can’t stand).

Epson isn't that bad. I gotta tell you, the worst printers are made by Kyocera. The curse of using them haunts me daily in my work...

 

[QuarterSwede]

We just got a Brother all-in-one mono laser printer and I gotta say, that thing is freaking amazing. It's exactly what I've always wanted in a printer. It's solid, connects easily to the network and it scans to iOS or any network connected computer without having to install anything (for iOS the Brother app is required). Freaking love that thing.

I know all that sounds stuff like any printer company should be able to do but let me tell you that most fail miserably on their promises of connectivity.

 

[H2SO4]

Thankfully not. My Brother printers have always worked tiredlessly for years and years.

Whereas my Epsons always die after 3 months. Epsons suck.

Might give one a shot then. My workforce WF-3540 is due for a replacement.
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Epson isn't that bad. I gotta tell you, the worst printers are made by Kyocera. The curse of using them haunts me daily in my work...

HP was my first love for printers, I had an OfficeJet way back in the day that was brilliant.

 

[ignatius345]

Thankfully not. My Brother printers have always worked tiredlessly for years and years.

Whereas my Epsons always die after 3 months. Epsons suck.

I've gotten easily 25,000 pages over the past 10 years out of a pair of cheap Brother laser printers. I think the first was the HL-2040, a $100 printer which got to maybe 15K pages before it finally started dying -- and now I'm about 10K pages into a 2270DW (~$125). This second one works wirelessly, has jammed <5 times, and happily uses the cheapest paper I can find.

Oh, and this "made for iPhone" business is clearly a marketing gimmick. You can print straight from an iPhone to my 5 year-old printer just by using the Brother app and being on the same wifi network.

 

[biscuit0819]

What does this mean, any bluetooth printers work with AirPrint don't they? I've never had a printer I didn't hate. From not feeding paper in correctly to ink lasting about 15 sheets of A4 I'm yet to find one that isn't the work of the devil.

 

[jacjustjac]

Soo,made for iPhone printers? Any desktop printer connected to a wi-fi network will most likely work with iPhones and iPads. I use an old HP photo smart with airplay,never had any problems caused by hardware or printing software.

There are lots of wireless printers from that era that did not support AirPrint, only Bonjour for Mac. To print from an iOS device, you'd need a PC and running a third-party AirPrint Server, and it wasn't simple. MFi is different than AirPrint, because it can forgo WiFi entirely and use Bluetooth. If you've ever walked an elder over the phone on how to set up their printer on the wireless network, you'll know how much better MFi sounds on paper.

 

[Le Big Mac]

I've gotten easily 25,000 pages over the past 10 years out of a pair of cheap Brother laser printers.

+1. I'm going on 15 years with a brother LP - kind of would like to upgrade but hard to justify given that all this has needed is new toner (and a drum, eventually).

 

[AppleInLVX]

I keep wanting to buy a new printer, but the old Brother monochrome laser printer I have just won't die. I told myself it can't be far from death--it's printed off I don't know how many thousands of pages, including multiple copies of my wife's PhD dissertation, and it just keeps on going. Really the only hope is that the drivers will kack out, I think. It's still one that doesn't have WiFi, and I've plugged it into the router so that all computers can access it that way. Alas, no iOS support like that and one of the macs has lost the ability to print to it. No duplexing, nothing special about it, but it sits in the basement, just waiting for a print job and has never failed me. These people make awesome products. I'll happily buy another one if the one I have dies or becomes unusable.

 

[ignatius345]

it sits in the basement, just waiting for a print job and has never failed me.

Brother Printers: Hardier Than Cockroaches™

 

[konqerror]

Oh, and this "made for iPhone" business is clearly a marketing gimmick. You can print straight from an iPhone to my 5 year-old printer just by using the Brother app and being on the same wifi network.

Wrong. Non-LE Bluetooth printers must be MFi, like all non-LE Bluetooth accessories that aren't on the built-in list (audio, HID like keyboards). If Apple hasn't changed it from several iOS versions ago, all apps which talk to the Bluetooth printer or accessory must also have certification.

Epson isn't that bad. I gotta tell you, the worst printers are made by Kyocera. The curse of using them haunts me daily in my work...

You clearly never used Samsung. Their genius engineers made a printer that makes exactly 1 attempt to pick up paper, when it fails it errors then requires you to open the lid, then causing a 3 minute calibration cycle.

 

[MrGuder]

Does brother use a lot of ink? I need a new printer/scanner my Canon uses ink like crazy it's always out of ink.

 

[AppleInLVX]

Brother Printers: Hardier Than Cockroaches™

Pfft.

That'd be a bold claim, indeed!

 

[dontwalkhand]

Does brother use a lot of ink? I need a new printer/scanner my Canon uses ink like crazy it's always out of ink.

Brother laser printers are rock solid. Inkjet Canon, HP, And especially Epsons are horrible horrible pieces of engineering. Never had trouble with Brother ink jets, but I'm not a fan of ink jets either.

I've made out good with Brother and HP lasers.

 

[TheIntruder]

Brother has always done a good job supporting Apple products, in terms of features, updates and duration.

They're quick to support new versions of OS X, and provide drivers for older printers for longer than other companies like Canon and HP.

 

[MrGuder]

So if I buy a Brother printer since Apple has partnered with them they must have faith in their products...does that mean I'm a i-sheepee?

 

[nybear31]

We just got a Brother all-in-one mono laser printer and I gotta say, that thing is freaking amazing. It's exactly what I've always wanted in a printer. It's solid, connects easily to the network and it scans to iOS or any network connected computer without having to install anything (for iOS the Brother app is required). Freaking love that thing.

I know all that sounds stuff like any printer company should be able to do but let me tell you that most fail miserably on their promises of connectivity.

What model are you using? Thanks

 

[windowpain]

I've gotten easily 25,000 pages over the past 10 years out of a pair of cheap Brother laser printers. I think the first was the HL-2040, a $100 printer which got to maybe 15K pages before it finally started dying -- and now I'm about 10K pages into a 2270DW (~$125). This second one works wirelessly, has jammed <5 times, and happily uses the cheapest paper I can find.

I have a 2040 too!
I love that little thing, just keeps going and going..7 years so far, and 9500 pages.
Almost all on the cheapest paper I could find and third-party dirt cheap toner.
I shudder when I think back to my inkjet days.. Will definetly be buying another brother when this one gives up the ghost. Probably about 4-5 years from now.
Ten years use out of a hundred dollar printer..can't ask for more!

 

[ignatius345]

I have a 2040 too!
I love that little thing, just keeps going and going..7 years so far, and 9500 pages.
Almost all on the cheapest paper I could find and third-party dirt cheap toner.
I shudder when I think back to my inkjet days.. Will definetly be buying another brother when this one gives up the ghost. Probably about 4-5 years from now.
Ten years use out of a hundred dollar printer..can't ask for more!

Yeah, that thing's a total workhorse. I have to say, I was happy to move on to my newer Brother because it has automatic duplexing and wifi printing -- and prints quite a bit faster.

Whenever someone tells me their printer "ran out of ink" I just shake my head in pity.
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What model are you using? Thanks

My grandparents needed a new printer so based on my own experience with Brother printers, I got them an MFC L2700DW from Staples or something. Quick setup, does faxing and (black & white) copying. Auto duplex too. I think it cost $150 so. Seems like a solid machine so far.

 

[ignatius345]

Wrong. Non-LE Bluetooth printers must be MFi, like all non-LE Bluetooth accessories that aren't on the built-in list (audio, HID like keyboards). If Apple hasn't changed it from several iOS versions ago, all apps which talk to the Bluetooth printer or accessory must also have certification.

Oh weird. I guess I am wrong. I thought I printed an email yesterday from my iPhone directly to my 5-year old non-"certified" printer via my wifi network and the Brother app. I must have been dreaming. You have any other tech advice for me?
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Does brother use a lot of ink? I need a new printer/scanner my Canon uses ink like crazy it's always out of ink.

It's a laser printer, so it uses toner, not ink. I'm generally getting, I'd say, 1,500 pages or more from a $40 toner cartridge? That's kind of a guesstimate.