Apple is reportedly releasing an iPad keyboard with a built-in trackpad similar to a Surface Pro

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Apple has spent the last few years trying to build the narrative that an iPad can replace your computer, but if a recent scoop from The Information is to be believed, the company is about to get even closer to its goal.

The scoop in question? That Foxconn is building a small army of keyboard attachments for the upcoming iPad Pro. That’s routine enough on the face of things, as Apple always releases some sort of typing keyboard cover, but the main point is that these new keyboards will have a trackpad. Yes, your next iPad Pro will look and feel like a mini MacBook, just running iPadOS instead of macOS.

Now, I’ve spent the last couple of months using an 11-inch iPad Pro with a Brydge keyboard attachment, and while iPadOS is getting much better, it’s still not ready to replace my laptop as my primary mobile workstation. Will Apple’s first-party keyboard be better? How does Brydge feel about this, as it already has a patent for this sort of thing, which it sued a Kickstarter late last year to protect? There’s a lot of unanswered questions here.

We’ve reached out to Brydge for comment, so we’ll update you as soon as we hear anything. Who knows, for all we know Brydge is now an Apple company and just hasn’t announced the takeover yet. I’m just speculating here, but it’s been known to happen.

Have any thoughts on this? Would you just rather buy a MacBook? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.