Bridge Pro+ will finally provide the iPad Pro with a keyboard with a touchpad

Bridge Pro+ will finally provide the iPad Pro with a keyboard with a touchpad

A new accessory is coming that will make the iPad Pro more MacBook-like than ever. At CES 2020 next week, Brydge will unveil its latest add-on for Apple's tablet, the Brydge Pro+.

Available starting at $199, the Brydge Pro+ looks just like many other Brydge keyboards for the iPad. The main difference is that this model has a built-in touchpad. This is because last year's iPadOS 13 update changed the Assistive Touch feature and added support for third-party mice and touchpads.

Brydge first announced plans to offer a keyboard with integrated touchpad in October, the same time another accessory manufacturer announced a keyboard for the iPad with an integrated touchpad. (That accessory, the Libra, is being sued by Brydge, and Libra's creators have said they plan to change the design to avoid potential patent infringement.)

The fact that several accessory makers are trying to make touchpad keyboards for the iPad is evidence of how welcome such an accessory would be. Many iPad users are happy to use the tablet's touch interface, but serious typing A full-size keyboard comes in handy when serious typing is required. And a touchpad only increases productivity.

Apple's Brydge Pro+ for the 11-inch iPad Pro will sell for $199, and the model for the 12.9-inch tablet for $229. Brydge will begin taking pre-orders on January 7, the first day of CES, at 2 pm EST/11 am PST. The first 500 pre-orders will ship by the end of February, with the remaining Brydge Pro+ models arriving in March.

In addition to the Brydge Pro+, Brydge will also be launching a stand-alone trackpad for the iPad. The name and price of the desktop trackpad is yet to be determined, but Brydge promises smooth swiping operation for iPads running the latest version of the iPad OS.

Fans of Microsoft's tablets won't be left out of the mix either; Brydge says it will release new keyboards for the Surface Go and Surface Pro. He also showed off an early concept of a keyboard for the Surface Pro X, Microsoft's convertible tablet.

The Brydge Pro for the 12.3-inch Surface Pro and 10-inch Surface Go will arrive in the second quarter of this year, with the W-Type and W-Touch keyboards and trackpads coming in the next quarter.Brydge Pro for the Surface Pro X X will appear later this year.

Categories