What is going on, everybody?
I am Mike, welcome back to Tech 24/7 TV.
I am glad that you're back with me today because we are talking
about something that is really near and dear to my heart.
That is iPad keyboards.
If you've been watching the channel for any amount
of time, really any amount of time, you know that I have
seen the gamut of keyboards.
I've seen bad keyboards and I've seen good keyboards and
some in-between.
Not a whole lot in there, really at the far end
of the spectrum.
Now, if you're anything like me, having a good keyboard
for your iPad is really essential.
No matter if you're using your iPad as a casual user or if you
are full-fledged using it as your computer replacement.
That's because a keyboard, a trackpad is really about
enabling you to do meaningful, productive work when you are
at your iPad.
Now, I think that this new keyboard is something that you
are going to be interested in if you are the owner of a
seventh or eighth-generation iPad.
Let's get started.
This is the Brydge ten-point two (10.2) Max+ and it is one
hundred and thirty dollars ($130) which can be purchased
from Brydge's website.
I'll put a link down in the video description below in case
you want to pick one for yourself.
Now this keyboard really builds upon one, the success
that Brydge had early on with good keyboards that have good
typing experiences and layers in their partnership with Otter
Box as giving a protective layer to your iPad and then
sprinkles on Apple's latest functionality for the trackpad
in iPadOS 14.5.
So you're really getting three great experiences here.
Now you will need iPad OS 14.5 to ensure that
it works effectively.
Now, just to be transparent, this video was not
sponsored by Brydge.
They did provide this keyboard for me to review.
But they have no control over the editorial content that you
are watching right now.
And as a matter of fact, they are watching this at the
same exact time you are.
Let's talk about the keyboard and the typing experience.
The 10.2 Max+ has a full row of function keys located at the
top of the keyboard that gives you quick access to all the
normal functions that you would need on your iPad.
Raise and lower the brightness, raising the
volume play, pause, fast forward media,
lock the device, the full gamut.
You know what they are.
The keys themselves are quite large.
They are flat.
So they don't unless they have a concave surface and I'll be
out of there.
I'm someone who can get used to typing on any keyboard and this
keyboard is no different.
They do feel different than the magic keyboard.
So they're maybe not as springy.
But I would say that again, they do offer a
good typing experience.
Now the trackpad itself is actually quite large.
It's four inches wide by almost two and a half inches tall,
which is actually bigger than the trackpad itself on the
magic keyboard for the iPad.
You also get a case for the back of your iPad, which is
made by Otterbox giving you 4-foot drop protection.
Now, this is going to protect your iPad from most
things, though.
I'm not going to test the drop protection for you.
You'll need to take Brydge's word on it.
All the normal buttons and cutouts are available,
allowing you quick and easy access to the speaker,
volume rocker, sleep/wake button in addition
to the buttons, they have good tactility and
They just feel good in your hands.
I don't know about you, but many people,
including myself, have had trouble in the past inserting
their iPad into the keyboard because of the way that the
hinge mechanisms worked.
Well, new in this version of the keyboard, there is a magnet
included on the hinges themselves in your iPad kind of
slide into the hinges and it just works.
In terms of battery life, Brydge rates that you're going
to get six-month of battery life under normal conditions,
which is about two hours a day according to
their calculations.
Now the keyboard does have a backlight and it can be set to
three different stages, and that's going to impact how
much battery life you're going to get out of
the keyboard itself.
Now, included in the box is going to be a USB-C cable,
which plugs directly into the side of the keyboard,
and that's actually how to charge it.
At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, "Is the 10.2
Max+ Two worth the price tag, especially when you compare it
to the sea of other keyboards that are available today?"
So I would say that if you are looking for a keyboard that has
a good typing experience, has an integrated trackpad
that is supported by iPad OS and Apple's updates.
Also that the keyboard is software available.
So anything comes out in the future, Brydge should be
able to go and address that with a software update
to the keyboard.
That this might be the keyboard for you.
There are a lot of things I like about the keyboard.
So one, it does have a good typing experience to the
trackpad experience is very good.
It's exactly what you would see on the magic keyboard or any
other keyboard that supports the trackpad itself.
The track has a very large surface area.
As I mentioned, it is the largest surface area that I
found on a trackpad that is supported by Apple.
And number three, you are getting a protective case for
the iPad that is not overly bulky and still balances
protection for the iPad.
Now, that's not to say that everything is perfect.
There are a few things that I don't like about it.
One, the case material.
It highlights fingerprints.
So if you have greasy fingers or you tend to touch a lot of
different things and then touch the case, know that you're
going to have to carry something around to wipe down
the case because it's going to bother you.
Two, the fact that it doesn't use the smart dock connector.
Now, that's not really a big deal from the fact of,
you know, battery life or performance.
It does just highlight the fact that you still have to use
Bluetooth to connect to your device.
If you're not necessarily skilled with that, it shouldn't
be a big deal because you're going to connect to it once and
honestly time and time again.
I do think this is a good buy for most people because when
you compare it against the other keyboards that are in the
same price range, like the Logitech *Combo Touch*, I think
the name is that's about 10 or 15 dollars more expensive.
It does have a slightly different typing experience and
it's not better, but it's just different.
Maybe it's the only way to explain it, but the way that
you connect the keyboard bottom half to the actual iPad doesn't
really make a lot of sense.
And the keyboard disconnects a lot.
So it's a little bit of a mixed bag there.
Now, let me know if you've any questions down in
the comments below.
My name is Mike.
This is Tech 24/7 TV.
I will catch you in the next one.