iPad Pro - Magic Keyboard VS Brydge Pro+!

**Apple Magic Keyboard vs iPad Smart Bridge: A Comprehensive Comparison**

In this article, we will delve into the world of Apple's keyboards designed specifically for iPads, comparing two popular options: the Apple Magic Keyboard and the iPad Smart Bridge. Both keyboards offer unique features and benefits, but which one is right for you? Let's dive in and explore the details.

**Design and Build Quality**

The Apple Magic Keyboard is a sleek and compact design that perfectly complements the latest iPads. The keyboard has a minimalist look with a subtle curve to it, making it easy to slip into your bag or pocket. One of the standout features of the Magic Keyboard is its key travel – providing a tactile experience for typists. However, some users may find the key wiggle between the sides to be slightly noticeable.

In contrast, the iPad Smart Bridge boasts an ergonomic design with a subtle curvature to fit snugly against your body. The keyboard feels solid and substantial, making it a pleasure to type on. While the Magic Keyboard is designed to be compact, the Bridge's hinges allow for more flexibility in terms of adjusting the angle of the keyboard.

**Key Features**

The iPad Smart Bridge offers several key features that set it apart from its counterpart. One of the most notable differences is the presence of function keys, which provide a level of customization and control not found on the Magic Keyboard. The Bridge also boasts an excellent battery life, with Apple claiming up to 12 hours of use. Additionally, the keyboard's ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness based on your surroundings.

On the other hand, the Apple Magic Keyboard has its own set of impressive features. Its proprietary hinges allow for a full range of motion, making it easy to adjust the angle of the keyboard as needed. The Magic Keyboard also boasts excellent key travel and a tactile experience that many typists will appreciate. However, some users may find the lack of function keys to be a drawback.

**Hinge Design**

One of the most distinctive features of the iPad Smart Bridge is its hinge design. Apple's custom proprietary hinges allow for an impressive 180-degree range of motion, making it easy to adjust the angle of the keyboard as needed. This flexibility is a significant advantage over the Magic Keyboard, which has a more limited range of motion.

The Magic Keyboard's hinge design is also noteworthy, with two distinct bends that provide a smooth and stable typing experience. However, some users may find the lack of flexibility in terms of adjusting the angle to be limiting.

**Protection**

Both keyboards offer protection for your iPad, but there are some key differences. The Magic Keyboard covers both the front and back of the iPad, providing comprehensive protection against scratches and damage. In contrast, the iPad Smart Bridge offers an optional back cover that can be removed, making it slightly thinner than its counterpart.

While this may seem like a drawback, the bridge's optional back cover provides a level of customization and flexibility not found on the Magic Keyboard. Users can choose to have the full back protection or opt for a slimmer design without it.

**Comparison**

So, which keyboard is right for you? Both the Apple Magic Keyboard and the iPad Smart Bridge offer unique features and benefits that cater to different needs and preferences. The Magic Keyboard excels in terms of compactness, key travel, and ambient light sensor functionality. However, its lack of function keys may be a drawback for some users.

In contrast, the iPad Smart Bridge boasts an impressive range of motion, excellent battery life, and customizable backlighting. Its optional back cover provides flexibility and customization not found on the Magic Keyboard. Ultimately, the choice between these two keyboards comes down to your individual needs and preferences.

**Conclusion**

Both the Apple Magic Keyboard and the iPad Smart Bridge are exceptional designs that offer a range of features and benefits. While they share some similarities, their unique characteristics set them apart from one another. By considering factors such as key travel, function keys, and protection, you can make an informed decision about which keyboard is right for you.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthank you thank you thank you everyone for hanging out today it is Andrew here from Apple Insider and we're going to be comparing the brand new just released magic keyboard against the bridge Pro Plus a keyboard that we've already reviewed both of these guys exclusive to the 2018 and 2020 I've had pros there is a lot that sets these two apart so let's go ahead and just dive right into it starting off with the magic keyboard the magic keyboard is a big deal for iPad pro users because Apple's other keyboard option the smart Keyboard folio is just really not up to the task this two connects over the smart connector which are those three pins on the back of the iPad then the iPad pro will magnetically connect to the rear of the magic keyboard it is dead simple to connect on there just bring it up and boom it connects close it up use it those magnets are nice and strong here I've had won't be going anywhere a really unique feature of the magic keyboard is that the iPad itself essentially hovers above the keyboard brings it a little bit closer to your eyeballs and gives it a really nice look it also centers the balance and moves it forward a little bit instead of being more towards the back like it is with the bridge a bonus USB C port is hidden on the hinge of the magic keyboard perfect for charging and freeing up the other one for accessories or just keeping things clean now we are huge fans of the trackpad on the magic keyboard it feels phenomenal to move around you can easily use gestures such as multi finger swipes left and right to jump between apps moving forward to go home or moving forward and holding to open up the app switcher it feels great it's a little bit small and cramped compared to a larger Magic Trackpad on your Mac but overall it still has the same quality in fact you can press it anywhere it's not haptic feedback like we have on the magic track boards and Macs but you can actually press anywhere on there instead of just being stuck to the front like you are with bridge before we talk about though let's talk about our sponsor for this video paper like when we got our ipad pro's paper leak was one of the first things that we put on their paper like is essentially a really nice screen protector it goes on easily and it gives you a matte finish to your iPad's display which may it really easy on the eyes reduces glare and is perfect for reading or using Apple pencil the installation process is so easy to do they include everything in the box it takes you a few minutes to go around clean the screen and squeegee all the little bubbles out then you're ready to go go ahead and draw read whatever it is that you do on your iPad with a nice matte finish even better it doesn't collect fingerprints nearly as much as the glossy display does so if you read draw sketch take note or anything else with your iPad consider picking up paper like if you want to grab one for yourself you can find out more at the link down below in the description now about that Bridge trackpad there's a big difference between this and apples whereas apples you can click anywhere Bridge is using a spring board design which means the back of the trackpad is fixed and the rest of it kind of moves in a spring board fashion so you can press down and click anywhere on the trackpad except for that upper edge now the bridge does connect over Bluetooth rather than a smart connector which does mean it needs to be charged in there is a little bit of lag we even seen some hiccups within iOS or iPad OS we're kind of just gets really excited and Scrolls away past what we are trying to do see just towards the top of display just kind of kept going so there are those small hiccups the trackpad experience on Bridge wellgood is nowhere near what it is on the magic keyboard after using the bridge for the past several weeks and then switching to the magic keyboard of this week it is a night and day difference how much smoother faster and more responsive it is that's what happens when you pick an apple design product versus a third party product especially Bridge which was essentially based off of an accessibility feature before it came in a full feature in iPad OS 13.4 looking at the keyboards Bridge has a lot going for it though there is a dedicated Siri key in that lower left-hand corner and a full row of function keys towards the top there brightness controls there are keyboard controls you can adjust the brightness of the keyboard itself media controls volume controls it is very easy to control everything through those function keys reducing your need to move up to the screen or use the trackpad to get to those features within setting or control center we do like typing on the bridge the keys feel good there's a good amount of key travel perhaps a little bit more key travel than there is on the magic keyboard but there is a little bit of wobble to them then you're as sturdy as apples are on the magic keyboard both of these keyboards are backlit and it is very easy to control the bridge just from that little light bulb icon on the keyboard here you can see going through the different levels of brightness very easy to cycle through quick and easy to get to so if you're watching move you can just go ahead and turn that off if you don't want to have those lights on there is a good amount of light bleed those who you're looking at an angle you really notice how much light is peeking around those keys versus the magic keyboard here which is very tight and there is almost no light leak at all moving around the actual chiclet keys now the downside is you do have to go into settings into this hardboard keyboard hardware keyboard menu to adjust the brightness of the keyboard itself so there is an ambient light sensor it just automatically but if you have to manually do it if you want to turn it off for watching a movie you do have to jump into those settings to be able to control it we just kind of a pain czars typing on the magic keyboard it is it buries it is a great feeling keyboard a good amount of key travel very solid keys though not quite as solid as they are on like the 16 inch MacBook Pro there is a small amount of key wiggle between the sides but overall a very very very good keyboard and that we are happy and loved to use this every single day a big difference again between the two is going to be the hinge design so here is Apple's hinge on the magic keyboard you can see it has two different bends to it there's the hinge at the bottom then the second hinge there in the middle which is what gives it that floating hovering effect and is shifting that weight a little bit more towards the middle of the keyboard itself but it is a little bit limiting you can't move it all that much back whereas the bridge can go completely 180 degrees it can go completely flat if you show it so choose where's the magic keyboard it's limited at about a hundred and twenty-five degrees Bridge is able to achieve that thanks to their custom proprietary hinges they grip the ipads ever so gently on either side on both corners it kind of shifts up a little bit to give a little bit of a boost when it's sitting down on a table that there's grips on the bottom and it holds on very secure but it's still really easy to take your iPad out when you are done using it or you just want to use it as a tablet they look great and they hold on very well and it kind of game reduces the size just a little bit because it doesn't cover the entire back edge of the iPad like it does on the smart Keyboard folio now I know something that you maybe thinking right now which is protection between these two devices both are gonna offer similar degrees of protection but it has a little bit of a catch so the magic keyboard as you can see covers everything covers the front and the back in one of your iPad and when you're holding them side by side they're very similar but the bridge has an optional back cover so with an optional back cover the bridge is a little bit thicker it's lighter but a little bit thicker but that back cover can come off at that point that bridge becomes just a little bit shorter or slimmer then the magic keyboard is so it depends on what you want it'll be a tiny bit thicker if you have that full back protection but then you don't have it's not as thin as it would be otherwise so it's a good option because you have a choice between a little bit thicker device or more protective device both of these keyboards are amazing but honestly it's really hard to compete with Apple at its own game the magic keyboard is phenomenal in pretty much every way Bridge wins out in a few ways such as that extra battery life and function keys and all that but it also comes in at a cheaper price regardless of which one you prefer you can grab one down below in the description and I'd love to know what you guys think reach me over on Twitter at Andrew underscore OSU hey everyone did you guys like that video be sure to click on that like button so we can create content that we know that you guys want to see and follow Apple Insider on all social media channels if you want the best prices on any Apple gear check out the Apple Insider price guide that is updated daily and until next time we'll see you laterthank you thank you thank you everyone for hanging out today it is Andrew here from Apple Insider and we're going to be comparing the brand new just released magic keyboard against the bridge Pro Plus a keyboard that we've already reviewed both of these guys exclusive to the 2018 and 2020 I've had pros there is a lot that sets these two apart so let's go ahead and just dive right into it starting off with the magic keyboard the magic keyboard is a big deal for iPad pro users because Apple's other keyboard option the smart Keyboard folio is just really not up to the task this two connects over the smart connector which are those three pins on the back of the iPad then the iPad pro will magnetically connect to the rear of the magic keyboard it is dead simple to connect on there just bring it up and boom it connects close it up use it those magnets are nice and strong here I've had won't be going anywhere a really unique feature of the magic keyboard is that the iPad itself essentially hovers above the keyboard brings it a little bit closer to your eyeballs and gives it a really nice look it also centers the balance and moves it forward a little bit instead of being more towards the back like it is with the bridge a bonus USB C port is hidden on the hinge of the magic keyboard perfect for charging and freeing up the other one for accessories or just keeping things clean now we are huge fans of the trackpad on the magic keyboard it feels phenomenal to move around you can easily use gestures such as multi finger swipes left and right to jump between apps moving forward to go home or moving forward and holding to open up the app switcher it feels great it's a little bit small and cramped compared to a larger Magic Trackpad on your Mac but overall it still has the same quality in fact you can press it anywhere it's not haptic feedback like we have on the magic track boards and Macs but you can actually press anywhere on there instead of just being stuck to the front like you are with bridge before we talk about though let's talk about our sponsor for this video paper like when we got our ipad pro's paper leak was one of the first things that we put on their paper like is essentially a really nice screen protector it goes on easily and it gives you a matte finish to your iPad's display which may it really easy on the eyes reduces glare and is perfect for reading or using Apple pencil the installation process is so easy to do they include everything in the box it takes you a few minutes to go around clean the screen and squeegee all the little bubbles out then you're ready to go go ahead and draw read whatever it is that you do on your iPad with a nice matte finish even better it doesn't collect fingerprints nearly as much as the glossy display does so if you read draw sketch take note or anything else with your iPad consider picking up paper like if you want to grab one for yourself you can find out more at the link down below in the description now about that Bridge trackpad there's a big difference between this and apples whereas apples you can click anywhere Bridge is using a spring board design which means the back of the trackpad is fixed and the rest of it kind of moves in a spring board fashion so you can press down and click anywhere on the trackpad except for that upper edge now the bridge does connect over Bluetooth rather than a smart connector which does mean it needs to be charged in there is a little bit of lag we even seen some hiccups within iOS or iPad OS we're kind of just gets really excited and Scrolls away past what we are trying to do see just towards the top of display just kind of kept going so there are those small hiccups the trackpad experience on Bridge wellgood is nowhere near what it is on the magic keyboard after using the bridge for the past several weeks and then switching to the magic keyboard of this week it is a night and day difference how much smoother faster and more responsive it is that's what happens when you pick an apple design product versus a third party product especially Bridge which was essentially based off of an accessibility feature before it came in a full feature in iPad OS 13.4 looking at the keyboards Bridge has a lot going for it though there is a dedicated Siri key in that lower left-hand corner and a full row of function keys towards the top there brightness controls there are keyboard controls you can adjust the brightness of the keyboard itself media controls volume controls it is very easy to control everything through those function keys reducing your need to move up to the screen or use the trackpad to get to those features within setting or control center we do like typing on the bridge the keys feel good there's a good amount of key travel perhaps a little bit more key travel than there is on the magic keyboard but there is a little bit of wobble to them then you're as sturdy as apples are on the magic keyboard both of these keyboards are backlit and it is very easy to control the bridge just from that little light bulb icon on the keyboard here you can see going through the different levels of brightness very easy to cycle through quick and easy to get to so if you're watching move you can just go ahead and turn that off if you don't want to have those lights on there is a good amount of light bleed those who you're looking at an angle you really notice how much light is peeking around those keys versus the magic keyboard here which is very tight and there is almost no light leak at all moving around the actual chiclet keys now the downside is you do have to go into settings into this hardboard keyboard hardware keyboard menu to adjust the brightness of the keyboard itself so there is an ambient light sensor it just automatically but if you have to manually do it if you want to turn it off for watching a movie you do have to jump into those settings to be able to control it we just kind of a pain czars typing on the magic keyboard it is it buries it is a great feeling keyboard a good amount of key travel very solid keys though not quite as solid as they are on like the 16 inch MacBook Pro there is a small amount of key wiggle between the sides but overall a very very very good keyboard and that we are happy and loved to use this every single day a big difference again between the two is going to be the hinge design so here is Apple's hinge on the magic keyboard you can see it has two different bends to it there's the hinge at the bottom then the second hinge there in the middle which is what gives it that floating hovering effect and is shifting that weight a little bit more towards the middle of the keyboard itself but it is a little bit limiting you can't move it all that much back whereas the bridge can go completely 180 degrees it can go completely flat if you show it so choose where's the magic keyboard it's limited at about a hundred and twenty-five degrees Bridge is able to achieve that thanks to their custom proprietary hinges they grip the ipads ever so gently on either side on both corners it kind of shifts up a little bit to give a little bit of a boost when it's sitting down on a table that there's grips on the bottom and it holds on very secure but it's still really easy to take your iPad out when you are done using it or you just want to use it as a tablet they look great and they hold on very well and it kind of game reduces the size just a little bit because it doesn't cover the entire back edge of the iPad like it does on the smart Keyboard folio now I know something that you maybe thinking right now which is protection between these two devices both are gonna offer similar degrees of protection but it has a little bit of a catch so the magic keyboard as you can see covers everything covers the front and the back in one of your iPad and when you're holding them side by side they're very similar but the bridge has an optional back cover so with an optional back cover the bridge is a little bit thicker it's lighter but a little bit thicker but that back cover can come off at that point that bridge becomes just a little bit shorter or slimmer then the magic keyboard is so it depends on what you want it'll be a tiny bit thicker if you have that full back protection but then you don't have it's not as thin as it would be otherwise so it's a good option because you have a choice between a little bit thicker device or more protective device both of these keyboards are amazing but honestly it's really hard to compete with Apple at its own game the magic keyboard is phenomenal in pretty much every way Bridge wins out in a few ways such as that extra battery life and function keys and all that but it also comes in at a cheaper price regardless of which one you prefer you can grab one down below in the description and I'd love to know what you guys think reach me over on Twitter at Andrew underscore OSU hey everyone did you guys like that video be sure to click on that like button so we can create content that we know that you guys want to see and follow Apple Insider on all social media channels if you want the best prices on any Apple gear check out the Apple Insider price guide that is updated daily and until next time we'll see you later\n"