A few days ago I finally received my long-awaited Brydge Pro keyboard - first impressions after just a few minutes of use were extremely positive. I'm not going to write a long review, but I am happy to answer any questions anybody may have. Hit me up on Twitter!
First Impressions:
- Very well built.
- Color matches my iPad very well
- ~75% charged out of the box
- Keys feel like a "real keyboard"
The Good Stuff:
I had high expectations, and those expectations were met. This keyboard is by far the best iPad keyboard I have ever used, and is among my favorite keyboards to ever use. My daily driver is a fully mechanical blank-keycapped Das Keyboard Ultimate 4, but my second favorite keyboard is the wired Apple keyboard (with numpad), followed closely/evenly matched with the keyboard on my 2015 15" MacBook Pro itself. I have about the same typing speed and comfort on the Brydge Pro as I do on the Apple keyboards, and the feel is actually almost exactly the same. If you want to know what the Brydge Pro feels like, go find one of the original wired Apple keyboard with the low profile keys - it's almost exactly the same.
- Typing experience is solid
- Keys feel nearly identical to Apple keyboards (the older ones at least, not the new butterfly keys)
- Solid construction
- Backlight works well
- Counter weight is pretty good - no tipping back while I'm using it on my lap
- Hinges feel pretty good, most of the time
- Size doesn't feel cramped
- Function keys are pretty useful along the top row
The Nitpicky Stuff:
- The sleep mode is a little bit agressive. I don't think it's too aggressive all the time (never falls asleep while I'm actively using it), but if I'm watching a movie or something I almost always have to press the volume button on the keyboard more than once before it wakes up and actually responds.
- The hinges could be a little stiffer - we'll see how they hold up. I can't lay the iPad back past maybe 45 degrees back before they can't hold the weight.
- I've had some trouble with the microphone button on the keyboard...I'm still figuring out if it doesn't work or if I'm just missing something.
Final Thoughts:
I really can't complain. It's beautiful. If I have issues I'll reach out to the company - they have a stellar warranty. I wish the keyboard could act as an external battery pack, and in light of the announcements regarding iOS 13, I'm curious to see (if mouse support makes it through the final betas of iPadOS) if future versions will include a trackpad - there is enough room for a small trackpad at least. Overall though...this thing is practically perfect. Well done, Brydge, well done.
