BT-KEY3XL

The Search A few months ago I started a long search for an ideal portable keyboard that would work with tablets and other mobile devices. I needed something that would provide a good typing experience, would be solid in construction, and would be portable. All of my experience with portable keyboards came during this search in various stores and online, as previously I have only used desktop and laptop keyboards. My ideal imaginary keyboard would be like the Logitech Solar keyboards, but in a smaller form-factor (without the 10-key), with a way to protect the keys, and Bluetooth for maximum connectivity support (ie no need for a USB dongle taking up a spare port). And since I’m a touch-typist, the keys needed to be big enough and spaced enough that I wouldn’t have to hunt and peck. The Challengers There were several potential winners I narrowed my search down to, including the Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard, Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810, and the myriad clones of the folding keyboard produced by such companies as Jorno, Plugable, EC Technology, iClever, 1byone, TOZO, Oldshark, etc (seriously, there are dozens of clones). The Microsoft one apparently was having a problem with the charger, so Amazon stopped selling them until it got fixed. And the Logitech one was hard to come by. But the clones of the foldable keyboard were plentiful. Unfortunately, the folding keyboard clones all had the same problems with their design as mentioned by reviewers: * The number keys were off-set from a standard keyboard, making touch-typing the numbers difficult. * The right Shift key was separated by the Up arrow key, making using it tricky. * The wings floated off the table, such that if you typed a key on one of the wings, the whole keyboard would rock up. * You can’t type with it on your lap because the wings will fold up on you. While hemming and hawing about pulling the trigger and buying one anyway (what could it hurt? They’re pretty inexpensive), I discovered an option in the listing for the one by Plugable that I hadn’t noticed before: a “Full-Size” version! It turns out that Plugable took the original cloned design and up-scaled it to be an uncompromising full-size keyboard (and who knows, other clone makers may clone this version too). So I decided to take the plunge! The Review First of all, I am very impressed with the quality of this keyboard. All of the physical components are solid, the folding mechanism works perfectly with the magnets providing just the right resistance to keep it closed without feeling I need to pry it apart to open, and even the cover is well built and functional (something I didn’t initially care about, but turned out to be more useful than I expected). When I said this keyboard is uncompromising, I wasn’t kidding. All the keys are exactly where they are supposed to be at 100% scale. In fact, the physical layout of the keys is identical to a Macbook Pro (even if they’re not labeled the same). It feels so much like typing on a laptop keyboard that I keep instinctively reaching for a mouse or track pad. The only difference is that typing on it is slightly louder just because it doesn’t have the mass of a laptop to absorb the impact of keystrokes, allowing the taps to echo down to the typing surface. While it doesn’t offer the *click-clack* of mechanical switches, it’s also no good for a spy to use to send secret messages back to base. Folded up, it’s roughly the size of 2 phones side-by-side. While I can technically fit it into my front pants pocket, it’s awkwardly large. It’s much more suitable to store in a coat pocket, or wherever you stash your tablet. Borrowing some devices from work, I was able to successfully pair it with an iPad mini, iPhone 6 Plus, Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Macbook Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, and my personal Galaxy Tab S2 9.7” and Galaxy Note 3. The pairing was quick and easy and all the unique dedicated keys worked across devices (like “Home”, “Select All”, “Cut”, “Copy”, “Paste”, etc). The range is also impressive, as when I started taking photos of the keyboard for this review across the room (over 15’ away) from the tablet it was paired with, I accidentally hit a key that launched something on the tablet. And I don’t think it was intentional, but there is a slight outward bowing of the wings when extended that gives the keyboard an almost ergonomic curve. For the tablet I went with (Galaxy Tab S2 9.7”) I got a cover that could be folded over to use as a 3-position stand. However, it only acts as a stand in landscape orientation; convenient for watching videos, but not as nice for writing. The included keyboard cover doesn’t care about orientation (or device), which means I can type in any orientation I want. It also has a little pull-out lip so you can lower the angle of the device you’re using. The cover is a nice addition that I didn’t really need, but is handy to have. I’m still in the first couple weeks of owning this keyboard and haven’t had much of a chance to really use it, so I can’t comment on its longevity, or its travel convenience. But my first impressions are very favorable. This review is probably the most I’ve written with it so far. With regards to the common complaints about the smaller version of this keyboard: * The number keys are exactly where they should be. * The right shift is exactly where it should be, with the possible detriment being that the arrow keys have been shrunk to make room, but that’s fairly common among all keyboards. * The keyboard is massive enough, and there’s enough flex in the wings, that the slight downward drop the wings experience when you type on an edge key doesn’t tip the whole keyboard. * The slightly larger size allows the keyboard to fit on your lap in a pinch, as long as you keep your knees together such that they support the hinges of the keyboard. Oh, and the box even has a “Thank You” in Klingon. :) Things to Improve The easiest thing Plugable could do to improve this keyboard is to print the alternate key designations for the various formats (Android vs iOS vs OSX). Right now only the Windows designations are printed and you have to guess the alternates for the other OSes. This should only affect a few keys that are different across platforms. This can help with the confusion as some of the keys don’t match the positioning you would expect, like on OSX. The next simple thing would be to allow the joints to relax just a tad bit more so that the wings of the keyboard actually do lay all the way down against the typing surface. Alternatively, add tiny foot pads to the edges so that they come into contact with the typing surface in order to eliminate the flex of the wings when typing.

This is the absolute best portable bluetooth keyboard - folding or non-folding - that I've found. It is exactly the same size, key spacing and key layout as my laptop's keyboard, so there is no learning curve for my fingers as I switch back and forth between using my PC or using my tablet. This allows me to touch type at full speed without having to make any adjustments. The keys have a nice amount of travel and good feel. It feels like a high-quality keyboard and not like a mushy piece of rubber. The right side shift key, enter key, backspace key and caps lock key are all full sized - something of a rarity in portable keyboards. All four cursor keys are the same size, unlike some keyboards that have two of the cursor keys shrunk to almost nothing. There are fold-out legs for the sides. This extra support keeps the keyboard firm when typing. It sits securely and doesn't bounce or slide around while in use. As a bonus, the cover converts into a deluxe stand. Once opened into its triangular format, a magnet strongly holds everything in place, so you don't have to worry about it collapsing while you are using it. The stand can hold pretty much any tablet or phone in both landscape and portrait orientation - even while in a case. The lip that holds devices in place can slide out both to accommodate thicker devices and to allow you to change the angle that your phone or tablet is held at. The battery lasts a long time between charges. And you can use it while it's charging. Another bonus is that, for computers without bluetooth, you can plug this keyboard into a USB port. When being used as a USB keyboard, the battery is also charging. As is common with portable keyboards, there are no dedicated PgUp, PgDn, Home or End keys. These functions are accessed by combining the Fn key with a cursor key. This is not marked on the keys nor mentioned in the manual. Unlike some big name, much more expensive portable bluetooth keyboards, this mode DOES allow you to do shift/ctrl/alt combined with PgUp/PgDn/Home/End. Some other keyboards don't support sufficient "key rollover" to recognize when more than two keys are pressed at the same time! The keyboard also has (via Fn) Print screen and Insert, something missing from many portable keyboards. On the phones and tablets that I've tried this keyboard with, the dedicated copy, cut and paste keys work as advertised. While there are volume up and down keys, there is no mute key in the current version. Personally, I would prefer a mute key instead of having a lock key. On the plus side, you can use the lock key to wake up your Android device as well as locking it. If the Caps Lock LED doesn't light when paired with a phone or tablet, it's not broken. The LED is controlled by the PC/phone/tablet that the keyboard is paired with (as with all normal keyboards), not by pressing the Caps Lock key. If you pair it with a regular computer, you should find that this LED works fine. BTW - Alt-Tab allows you to switch between apps on most Android devices. Additionally, depending on your Android device, there are shortcuts to browser, email, etc. available. The only possible negative thing I can say about this keyboard is a limitation imposed by its being foldable - the keyboard lays flat on the table without any incline. Other than this one issue, I would say that this is a perfect keyboard.

Absolutely love this keyboard. Very portable and very robust construction. I take it everywhere I go and use it for my phone and tablet. I also use it for my PS5 when I am at home.

Maybe better than typing on iPad glass but only just. Not recommended for touch typist