![]() Making matters worse for Brydge, Apple was working closely with Logitech. The product, despite its higher price point, was widely praised for its industry-leading trackpad experience, the unique and versatile cantilever design, and its built-in USB-C port that could be used to charge the iPad Pro. Reviews of Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro proved that point. This gave the Magic Keyboard a significant advantage over what Brydge was able to offer. Other companies were unable to tap into three-finger gestures for multitasking and app-switching. IPadOS 13.4 did not make the full suite of trackpad capabilities offered by the Magic Keyboard available to third parties like Brydge, however. Alongside that, Apple released iPadOS 13.4 with native trackpad support without using the Assistive Touch accessibility feature. Just three months later, Brydge was hit with a major surprise when Apple unveiled the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, its first iPad keyboard accessory with a built-in trackpad. It was far from an ideal solution, and the early reviews made that clear.įor instance, Jason Snell at Six Colors criticized the trackpad as not being “remotely close to Apple’s trackpads in class.” He described the final product as being an “imprecise, jerky experience” that was simply “no good.” At that point, iPadOS 13 didn’t offer native trackpad support, so Brydge was forced to rely on a workaround using Apple’s Assistive Touch accessibility feature. The response to the first iteration of the Brydge Pro+ was mixed at best. Brydge opened pre-orders for the Pro+ and it began shipping shortly thereafter. The company had a booth at CES where it showcased the new accessory, allowing attendees to spend time with the product. Inside Brydge, the company’s patents were one of its most valuable assets, the people explained.īrydge formally announced the Pro+ at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2020. The lawsuit was settled out of court when Libra agreed to change its design to avoid Brydge patent infringement. In October 2019, the company gave a teaser look at the Pro+ keyboard and trackpad accessory for iPad Pro, while also filing a lawsuit against Libra for what it claimed was a knockoff of its product. Brydge, based on previous reporting, was working on versions of its iPad keyboards with trackpads since 2018. Brydge could coexist in the market as an alternative to Apple’s less laptop-like Smart Keyboard Folio accessories.īehind the scenes, Brydge was also working on a major expansion of its product lineup: a version of its iPad keyboard accessories with a built-in trackpad. ![]() Brydge Pro+īrydge was a direct competitor to Apple’s keyboard accessories for iPad, but the company set itself apart with higher-quality aluminum materials, a laptop-style hinge and form factor, and keyboard backlighting. A growing sense of optimism spread inside the company. ![]() Once the HengeDock acquisition was finalized, Brydge had a growing product lineup that stretched beyond the high-quality, Apple-inspired iPad keyboards that led to the company’s initial success. HengeDock CEO and founder Matthew Vroom left the company in November 2019 shortly after that acquisition was finalized. ![]() HengeDock higher-ups stayed at Brydge to ensure a smooth transition of the intellectual property and other logistical necessities. That acquisition went about as smoothly as such a deal can, sources said. In January, Brydge opened pre-orders for a new version of its ProDock, the Thunderbolt-enabled docking accessory that Brydge started selling following its acquisition of HengeDocks in 2019.
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