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2018 iPad Pro Brydge Keyboards Hands On Video

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The Brydge 12.9 Pro keyboard for the 2018 iPad Pro is one of the most anticipated new iPad Pro accessories of 2019, and we finally know all about it and have been able to go hands on with it.

You can pre-order the Brydge 11.0 Pro for $149.99 or the Brydge 12.9 Pro for $169.99 starting today. They ship in early Spring.

This is the keyboard to buy if you own the new iPad Pro in 11-inch or 12.9-inch versions. It’s a better option than Apple’s keyboard with a great design that looks and feels more like the bottom half of a laptop. It’s easy to put the iPad Pro in the Brydge 12.9 Pro keyboard and easy to pop it out when you just want to use it as a tablet. It’s a bit of a shock that Brydge pulled this off considering how small the bezels on the new iPad Pro are.

I’ve ben using the keyboard from Apple, and while it is better than the one it replaced, it can still be challenging to use on a lap for longer periods. The Brydge iPad Pro keyboards keep the same feel as a laptop on your lap. This means more stability and a surface that is easier to type on.

The design matches the look of the 2018 iPad Pro with the same flat edges and rounded corners, making it look like a matched pair. A small notch on the front edge makes it easier to open the iPad Pro with keyboard attached. It is similar to the notch on a MacBook Pro.

The keyboard connects with Bluetooth, but you can also connect it by USB C if you cannot use Bluetooth. This allows you to type and charge the keyboard at the same time.

Keys feel good, better than the MacBook Pro in some cases. They are backlit, which is better than the Apple Smart Keyboard and there’s a real arrow key setup.

When you pair these two devices up, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Brydge 12.9 Pro are lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Pro at about 2.8 pounds.

One of the nice features about this is the flexibility it provides outside of using the iPad like a laptop. You can use it as a tablet with the keyboard attached, or remove it. You can also use it to prop the iPad up for a video call or a movie with the keyboard tucked behind it for a different viewing angle.

Brydge also includes a snap on magnetic cover that protects the back of your iPad, so you don’t need another case to cover it. You can use it, or not, but it comes with the keyboard.

Here’s where to pre-order the Brydge 12.9 Pro and Brydge 11.0 Pro today.

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Linda

    01/08/2019 at 2:27 pm

    I have used Brydge keyboards for all my devices and love them. I was on the site at 12:02 ordering the new keyboard for my iPad Pro 2018.

  2. Guy Cortesi

    01/08/2019 at 4:12 pm

    I preordered a 12.9” model. I also own a SwiftPointGT mouse that works nicely with Jump Desktop and Parallels on the iPad, when I remote back into my Mac and other systems. I am looking forward to trying it in the big empty space right there on the new Brydge keyboard.

  3. Guy Cortesi

    01/08/2019 at 7:22 pm

    Josh – I was wondering if you tired using / accessing the home screen using that new line at the bottom of the iPad screen. My concern is that there is now no home button and the placement of the screen against the keyboard might make it hard to hit. I’m sure they must have addressed that though. Anyway, thanks for the video. I think yours is the only video I could find that shows the actual product.

    • Jodi

      01/09/2019 at 9:24 pm

      The new version of the Brydge Keyboard still has a home button in the top left corner. Press it once to exit an app or double tap it to show the screen with all of the open apps. You can even use a key combination, I think it’s alt control D to bring up the dock. Control tab will switch between apps. The video here did not go into keyboard use for these things, but it’s there and one of the keyboard buttons is a home button even though there isn’t one on the iPad itself.

      • Guy Cortesi

        01/09/2019 at 9:34 pm

        Thanks for the reply Jodi. That is useful to know about the home button. I rewatched the video and I see that Josh does somehow access the home guesture and it seems to work despite the keyboard being there.

  4. Nguyễn Văn Huỳnh

    01/09/2019 at 3:55 am

    I’m feeling like this keyboard already

  5. Roger

    01/18/2019 at 6:19 am

    What is the weight of the 12.9 keyboard compared with Apple’s 12.9 keyboard?

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