We know about the iPad Pro and how Apple sees it as the future of computing—that’s not really a view that I disagree with, given the advances made with iPadOS and the how powerful the recent generations of iPads are in terms of processing power.
However, there is certainly still room for improvement for the iPad to be considered as a full-on laptop replacement, in my opinion. Proper mouse support (not the AssistiveTouch workaround) is essential, and multi-tasking and background tasks still need work, even if file management has been improved (but still isn’t perfect).
Still, the iPad is moving in the right direction, and with more and more people seeing the value of Apple’s tablets as work devices, peripheral makers have also followed suit with productivity-centric accessories.
Brydge has announced that it will release an iPad keyboard that comes with a built-in trackpad next month for both the 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pro models. The keyboard accessory clips onto the iPad with a hinge, which gives the iPad a remarkably similar look to the MacBook Pro—minus the Touch Bar.
The Brydge Pro+ has apparently been copied by another manufacturer, with a lawsuit currently in the works. In Malaysia, however, the MacBook-esque clamshell design is one that’s pretty common if you search for 3rd party Bluetooth keyboards on any number of e-commerce sites.
However, what makes this interesting is the multi-touch enabled trackpad. It looks like gestures such as the two-fingered scroll works, which would certainly be a welcome addition over having to reach over and use the touchscreen to scroll through pages. AssistiveTouch isn’t exactly full mouse support, and you can’t really do much with a Bluetooth mouse beyond swipe and click—no right clicks, no double clicks, or anything of the sort.
There’s also a standalone trackpad that will be available, and it looks like… well, a trackpad. Perhaps that might be of interest to some of you who already have favoured keyboards that you’d like to use your iPad.
It’s also worth noting that the Brydge Pro+ connects via Bluetooth instead of the iPad’s Smart Connector (only Apple and Logitech keyboards connect via Smart Connecter, as far as I know). Still, Brydge says that you get 3 months of usage per charge, which isn’t too bad.
The first 500 pre-orders will ship in late February 2020, while the remaining pre-orders will ship in late March 2020. Prices are steep, however. US$199.99 (about RM820) for the 11″ model, and US$229.99 (about RM943) for the 12.9″ model. However, we don’t have any concrete news on whether the Brydge Pro+ will make it over to Malaysian shores anytime soon.
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