If you think Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 is not as good as a laptop compared to the more expensive Surface Book, CES 2017 just brought some good news to you. Brydge, a company that manufactures removable keyboards for Apple’s iPads, has just announced today the Brydge 12.3, its first keyboard for Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 tablets.
Unlike Microsoft’s Surface Type keyboard, the Brydge 12.3 aims to transform your Surface Pro into a real laptop as it completely removes the need of a kickstand, with an hinge mechanism offering a 180-degree screen rotation. The full aluminum body also seems to integrate perfectly with the magnesium casing of Microsoft’s Surface tablets.
The Brydge 12.3 is 0.3 inches thick and weighs just 1.3 lbs, and it connects to the tablet via Bluetooth 3.0. It also comes with a backlit keyboard, an adapatative trackpad and a rechargeable three months battery. Nicholas Smith, CEO of Brydge, shared in the press release that the new keyboard will help Surface tablets stand as true, non-compromised laptops.
Surface users have been waiting for a powerful keyboard like the Brydge 12.3. Since its release in 2012, the Surface has been the fastest-growing tablet—and this growth is only accelerating. It is a powerful and versatile device that deserves a keyboard that unlocks its true potential. With the addition of the Brydge 12.3, we feel the Surface customer has greater options between the entry level Type 4 keyboard right up to the full laptop hybrid—the Surface Book. The combination of the Brydge 12.3 and Surface creates a game-changing package that transforms the Surface into a true laptop replacement and the ultimate in mobile computing for Windows users.
The Brydge 12.3 will be available for preorder tomorrow, January 5 on the company’s website at a special price of $129.99 (retail $149.99), with a spring 2017 delivery. That’s the exact same price of Microsoft’s own Surface Pro 4 Type Cover, as a reminder. Moreover, the company plans to bring a model with Optional expandable 128GB SSD storage in the future. Sound off in the comments if you think this new keyboard is the perfect way to transform your Surface Pro into a real laptop.
