I just got my Smart Keyboard Folio today for my 11 Pro. It’s great so far and easily to type on. Magnets keep it on the iPad, so all you have to do is pull it off.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Testing Brydge's New Pro+ Keyboard With Trackpad for iPad Pro
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Well, I've been disappointed so far with my Logitech Anywhere Mouse 2S regarding usability on my iPad 12.9" Pro. I truly want the full mouse/trackpad experience I get on my iMac. Maybe I'm asking too much?
I'll probably hold out to see what Apple's offering. It won't interest me unless I could get a full navigation experience similar to my iMac's trackpad. Otherwise, a no go for me.
I'm getting one for my 2018 12.9 pro!
wish it was $50 cheaper priced at $150. maybe they will have a sale with the poor economy ?
But still much better priced than APPLES keyboard at $299.
wish it was $50 cheaper priced at $150. maybe they will have a sale with the poor economy ?
But still much better priced than APPLES keyboard at $299.
Good for them making this product, but sorry, I have to wonder why. I'm sitting here typing on a MBP while people are going through all this drama to achieve the same thing. It's like how some willingly use Linux on a laptop. Just getting the right machine for the task in the first place would save a lot of time and/or money.
Last edited:
Gag! Such a contrived review. You can tell he hated everything about the product including the last generation.
I guess I'm finally old, because I can't imagine using this setup for actual work. Is this really what the kids want and use? ****ing iOS-pro?
I need a proper Finder and terminal and stuff
I need a proper Finder and terminal and stuff
The Magic Trackpad 2 makes this experience the same for me as it was on the MacBook Air
This works so well as you can use it as like a laptop or a tablet. Best of both worlds.
I fail to have snybeeeeon to go back to macOS. If you want proper apps you have to go back to your iPad. The selections for daily apps are poor on the Mac for me
Does anybody use function keys anymore? I imagine the number of people that do use them is such a small proportion of the total audience that they opted for simplifying the keyboard.
I’ve really liked my Brydge pro, all the way up until the latest iOS update, now assistive touch messes with my keyboard preventing me from using mouse with keyboard🙄 grife! But I brought that combo over bringing my MBP on a mission trip where we needed to use a projector and I needed to save weight. iPad Pro and Brydge pro were a great solution! Using the current Brydge pro with Apple’s Magic Trackpad is pretty great too.
I’m in the same boat as I’m using a bog standard Bluetooth mouse. However, I did try it with my Magic Trackpad 2 from the iMac last night and you get exactly that “full” macos experience. I’m just not going to buy another trackpad when we can hopefully order the Magic Keyboard fairly soon.
So now the ipad is moving towards being a "workhorse"?
Being ecstatic about:
- a keyboard and trackpad worse than any of the macbooks
- slowly creeping to the same size/ thickness/ weight
- no structural rigidity
- an incredibly limited OS compared to macOS (no default apps, childish file-manager and overall functions)
- an incredibly CLOSED OS. Don't have the money to pay month after month for a calendar app that you previously used to own and pay only when the upgrade was worth it? Tough luck! Apple wants developers to move to a subscription model and you have to pay for it.
- an increasingly CLOSED device with close to ZERO repair possibility.
- a device that degrades from HW and SW perspective faster than what used to be called laptops/ workhorses
- being in need to exchange it like socks; don't worry though you can pay rent for it, as you never owned it even when you bought it. Tough luck if you can't afford to pay rent for a "WORKHORSE" in times like these.
Oh, and whatever happened to "we think Surface is dumb and people don't want to move the hand from trackpad and keyboard to a touchscreen, that is why we are not retooling macOS"?
Being ecstatic about:
- a keyboard and trackpad worse than any of the macbooks
- slowly creeping to the same size/ thickness/ weight
- no structural rigidity
- an incredibly limited OS compared to macOS (no default apps, childish file-manager and overall functions)
- an incredibly CLOSED OS. Don't have the money to pay month after month for a calendar app that you previously used to own and pay only when the upgrade was worth it? Tough luck! Apple wants developers to move to a subscription model and you have to pay for it.
- an increasingly CLOSED device with close to ZERO repair possibility.
- a device that degrades from HW and SW perspective faster than what used to be called laptops/ workhorses
- being in need to exchange it like socks; don't worry though you can pay rent for it, as you never owned it even when you bought it. Tough luck if you can't afford to pay rent for a "WORKHORSE" in times like these.
Oh, and whatever happened to "we think Surface is dumb and people don't want to move the hand from trackpad and keyboard to a touchscreen, that is why we are not retooling macOS"?
Last edited:
Personally, because there is no laptop with a detachable touchscreen that runs iOS.
you do understand that many of us iPad users have other powerful laptop and desktop computers we use as well, right? My iPad is my casual device I use when I’m not doing heavy lifting work, or when I’m traveling light. Much of the time it’s used as a tablet or a notebook with the Pencil. A keyboard with trackpad will only enhance the device further. An iPad is more reliable than any pc (even a Mac), ready to go on shorter notice, longer battery life, and much thinner and lighter. The main downside has been that even minor text handling has been excruciating without a mouse.
That said, I am most certainly holding out for Apple‘s version.
There are many complaints about how the little connectors on the corners of that Brydge keyboard cracked the screen from the corners. All the stress is on those little corners when you're opening/closing/adjusting the angle etc. To me this is a huge design error.
It looks like it's still got the same poorly designed keyboard layout -- enormous shift keys which mean that they have to lose the \| key from by the Z and move it over the Enter key, which then has to be reduced in height. It's really disconcerting to type on if you're used to standard UK keyboard layouts and I can't think what advantages this is supposed to bring. I suppose you could get used to it in time, but it seems to be a odd decision.
I really like the overall design, and bought the 10.5" version, but the daft layout and the fact that I didn't find the feel, spacing, and action of the keys to be nearly as comfortable as the Smart Keyboard it was replacing meant I sent it back and bought another SK. For me, if I was going to pay over £120, there was no point in making unnecessary compromises over the SK which was only £30-ish more. If I hadn't been using up birthday tokens, I'd probably have done without either.
I really like the overall design, and bought the 10.5" version, but the daft layout and the fact that I didn't find the feel, spacing, and action of the keys to be nearly as comfortable as the Smart Keyboard it was replacing meant I sent it back and bought another SK. For me, if I was going to pay over £120, there was no point in making unnecessary compromises over the SK which was only £30-ish more. If I hadn't been using up birthday tokens, I'd probably have done without either.
Those are the current (or soon to be shipping) shipping keyboards, but they fit different models.
The keyboard you showed is the keyboard is for the iPad and iPad Air, and older iPad Pro 10.5. The one I showed is for the 2018 iPad pros 11" and 12.9" and the newly announced iPad Pros. The newly announced Magic keyboard fits the 2018 iPad Pros and the newly announced iPad Pros.
Unless, of course, you use Better Touch Tool. Then 3 finger gestures certainly do work with MM2.
Well if the Magic Trackpad does give a MacBook like navigation experience I'll probably bite the bullet. But that is because I already own an iPad 12.9" 2018 Pro. I guess when a real 2021 iPad Pro update is released I'll pass the 2018 down to the spouse or kids.
My apologies I should have said for the iPad. 3 finger gestures with the MM2 don’t work with the IPad.
Late model MacBooks are are more repairable? An honest question as I miss the MacBooks I could open up and add RAM, a new hard drive, or battery. I know I’m old school.
Last edited by a moderator: