Brydge 12.9 Max+ iPad Pro keyboard borrows some of the best Apple Magic Keyboard features

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Brydge 12.9 Max+ is scheduled to debut inJune 2021.
The Brydge 12.9 Max+ turns your iPad Pro into a clamshell laptop.
Photo: Brydge

The Brydge 12.9 Max+ is a magnetic clip-on keyboard for the largest iPad Pro models. It includes a sizable trackpad, and a design that mimics a clamshell laptop.

It uses some of the features of the popular Apple Magic Keyboard, but goes in a different direction.

“When combined with the groundbreaking power, speed and connectivity of the new iPad Pro (5th generation), the Brydge 12.9 Max+ redefines the iPad keyboard category by creating a breakthrough all-in-one device for users — whether on the road, in the office or at home,” said Nick Smith, Co-CEO and Founder of Brydge.

Brydge 12.9 Max+ vs. Apple Magic Keyboard

It’s far from the first iPad keyboard from this company. But they all used clips to hold the tablet, while  the newest model employs a very different design. It has a back cover that holds the iPad Pro in place with magnets, allowing the computer to be easily removed or reattached.

The Apple Magic Keyboard draws eyes with a design that leaves the iPad Pro seemingly floating above the backlit keyboard. And the tablet attaches with magnets, plus there’s a trackpad, so Brydge’s product has much in common with Apple’s.

But the Magic Keyboard doesn’t use a traditional clamshell design, limiting the viewing angles. Brydge 12.9 Max+ can rotate the iPad’s screen over 135 degrees. And it includes a set of function keys, which Apple did not. But Brydge choose to use Bluetooth for its accessory rather than the Smart Connector.

The Brydge 12.9 Pro+, which debuted in early 2020, was the company’s first with a trackpad. The new version has a trackpad that’s two times larger.

Brydge prepared a video to show off this new keyboard case.

Brydge 12.9 Max+ can be preordered starting Wednesday, and it’s scheduled to ship in June. The price is $249.99.

The product comes in space gray, silver or white with silver keyboard.

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