Popular iPad accessory maker Brydge is returning to public life today with a series of announcements. The company is introducing multitouch trackpad support for its Pro + keyboards, as well as a brand new MAX + keyboard and combo trackpad case, with OtterBox protection, for the 8th generation iPad.
I spent the last few weeks testing Brydge’s new firmware with multitouch support on Pro +. See below for details.
As a quick update, Brydge introduced its Pro + keyboard / trackpad combination for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models in early 2020. A few months later, Apple released its Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro along with the trackpad support on iPadOS 13.4.
One of the main differences between Brydge Pro + and the Magic Keyboard, however, was support for multi-touch trackpad input. This was something that was compatible with the Magic Keyboard because it used Apple’s Smart Connector technology, but it was not compatible with Brydge Pro + with Bluetooth.
This is what is changing today. If you’re wondering what Brydge has been doing for the past eight months, this is it. The company announced the launch of a new firmware that adds native multitouch to iPad Pro + keyboards, equating them to Apple’s Magic Keyboard.
In a press release, Brydge explains that after the launch of Pro + keyboards in early 2020, he “quickly identified that taking advantage of all the features of the iPadOS multi-touch experience was critical”.
“We knew from day one that our firmware would be a key part of the continuous improvement of our iPad keyboards. This update is a true game changer and we couldn’t be more excited to offer a user experience for existing and future customers that is on par with the best. ”- Nick Smith, Co-CEO and founder of Brydge
According to Brydge’s beta registration page, iPadOS 14.5 should use the new Pro + firmware with support for multitouch trackpad, but other details about the work Brydge did behind the scenes to make this feature possible are unclear. IPadOS 14.5 is currently in beta testing for developers and audiences, with a full release expected in the spring.
Availability
Brydge says the new Pro + firmware will be released to all Pro + keyboard users in April. In the meantime, customers are invited to join the Brydge Beta Program to participate in all the final stages of testing their development.
The company says that the first 500 people who join the Brydge Beta Program will receive access next week. A broader beta test will begin in early March before the full launch in April.
Brydge will make this firmware update available for free to all Pro + users. The update will be released via the Brydge Connect app for iPad, which is available on the App Store.
Coinciding with today’s announcement, Brydge is also announcing a sale of his Pro + keyboards:
Take from 9to5Mac
I’ve spent the past few weeks testing Brydge Pro + with the latest firmware and iPadOS 14.5 on my 12.9-inch iPad Pro and I’m impressed by the improvements Brydge has made to the experience.
First of all, I think it is important to note how perfect the firmware update was. It took less than a minute to install the update via the Brydge Connect app and the multi-touch was immediately available. It also means that it will be easy for Brydge to respond to customer comments and release additional updates to further refine the experience.
Once the new firmware is installed on Brydge Pro +, it really looks like a completely new product. The lack of multi-touch support was a crippling limitation when Pro + was announced last year, and the new experience has been vastly improved.
All the multi-touch gestures you get with the Magic Keyboard and iPad Pro are now compatible with Pro +. That includes:
- Scroll up or down. Swipe two fingers up or down.
- Scroll left or right. Slide two fingers left or right.
- Enlargement. Place two fingers close to each other. Pinch your fingers together to open to zoom in or close your fingers to zoom out.
- Go home. Slide up with three fingers.
- Open the App Switcher. Slide upwards with three or four fingers, pausing before lifting your fingers.
- Switch between open applications. Swipe left or right with three fingers.
- Open the search on the home screen. Slide down with two fingers.
The gestures seem refined and very similar to Apple, and very rarely did I notice any delay or hiccup in the performance of multi-touch gestures or animation. It’s amazing what Brydge was able to do through a software update on a product that was released a year ago.
This does not mean that Pro + does not have its peculiarities. One problem I have noticed several times is that the cursor likes to jump occasionally and sporadically. This can make it difficult to perform tasks that require precise cursor movements, such as editing text.
The Magic Keyboard still has some important advantages over the Pro +, including being easier to put on and take off from the iPad Pro itself. The Magic Keyboard also draws power from the iPad Pro so it never has to be recharged, while Brydge Pro + offers battery power stellar, but you’ll have to recharge it via USB-C every now and then.
The biggest advantage of the Magic Keyboard equipped with Smart Connector is that it completely removes Bluetooth from the equation. Smart Connector offers a more refined overall experience than Bluetooth, and most of the peculiarities of Pro + seem to be attributable to peculiarities of Bluetooth, which is unfortunate.
Despite the peculiarities, I am impressed by the Brydge Pro + firmware update and the company’s ability to adapt to changes in the iPadOS and Apple’s new competition in this area. Pro + was designed and developed before iPadOS added official cursor support, and Brydge has spent the past eight months working to bring his Pro + to the level of the Magic Keyboard experience.
It is difficult for a third-party accessory manufacturer to compete with Apple in these areas, but Brydge has done a surprisingly good job. In fact, when it comes to deciding between Magic Keyboard and Brydge Pro +, I think design differences are the most important things to consider now that performance is so similar.
New 10.2-inch 8th generation iPad case
In addition to the announcement of the new Pro + firmware, Brydge also unveiled a new combo case MAX + keyboard / trackpad for the 8th generation iPad. One of the main features here is that MAX + integrates OtterBox protection and features a detachable design for greater versatility.
The company explains:
The 10.2 MAX + combines the functionality of a traditional Brydge keyboard with OtterBox’s award-winning protection.
In addition to the standard Brydge keyboard features, the 10.2 MAX + features the largest multi-touch trackpad available for the iPad (8th and 7th generation), a removable MIL-STD-810G case for iPad with 1.2m drop protection, new fit magnetic adjust the hinge design and the longest battery ever included in a Brydge keyboard. These keyboards are designed for students and professionals and are now pre-ordered for shipment in late March.
You can pre-order the new Brydge 10.2 MAX + today for $ 159.99, with the first orders being shipped in late March. Stay tuned to 9to5Mac for a practical review soon.
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