Before the emergence of computing, the go-to recording device was a mechanical typing machine that punched ink onto a page of paper, allowing somebody to type more quickly than they could write. People began to type so quickly that a new keyboard had to be created, known as the QWERTY keyboard today.
Remember the days of smartphones that came with physical keyboards? People began to adore the fact that they could quickly type on a mobile device, but loathed the action of typing on such a small keyboard.
Today, people have the ability to type on a digital glass screen where a processing unit registers their fingers’ and then displays the character pressed on a digital notepad. We sure have come a long way from the typewriter.
However, there’s one thing that the typewriter still holds over the heads of today’s smartphones and that is a physical keyboard. Sit down in a class with a pen and paper, a smartphone, and a laptop. Which would you rather take notes on? Chances are, most of you will choose the laptop due to its digital recording allowing you to edit notes as well as its physical keyboard which allows you to quickly type on a large surface, unlike a smartphone.
With so many people entering the mobile market, they are giving up the physical keyboard. iClever is attempting to solve this problem with one of their latest devices, their thin and portable Bluetooth keyboard that allows those on the go to type at normal typing speeds.
Welcome to my review of the iClever Foldable Wireless keyboard. Throughout this review, I will discuss the design and functionality of this device as well as my final thoughts. A special thank you to iClever for providing me with this device.
iClever Photo
Design
One thing that drew my attention to this keyboard was its foldability and the fact that a full sized keyboard could become the length of an iPhone within a second.
To withstand the constant folding motion and expected traveling, the keyboard is constructed out of an aluminum body with the top typing surface being plastic.
Speaking of the top surface, the keyboard folds out to become a full QWERTY keyboard that includes top number keys, arrow keys, and function commands for Windows PCs/tablets. The function command keys include media controls, volume adjustment, search, cut, copy, paste, and a few others like F1 – F12. Also found on the keyboard are Ctrl, Alt, Del and Windows keys.
When folded out into its full position, the keyboard’s folds are seamless with only the user knowing the difference. On a table surface, the bottom of the keyboard uses four rubber pads that keep the keyboard perfectly stable.
To fold the keyboard, the keyboard splits into three sections and the two outer sections ride on a sliding mechanism that then fold on top of the center piece. To keep the keyboard shut, iClever uses built in magnets that do a decent job. When folded up, the keyboard enters a low power state and reserves nearly all of its battery power.
Functionality
Pairing the keyboard takes only a minute with a Bluetooth enabled device running Windows (8.1+), Android or iOS.
The keyboard has a function key with a Bluetooth logo on it. Pressing Fn + C will blink a blue LED at the top of the keyboard to indicate that the keyboard is in pairing mode. Then go to your device and enter the Bluetooth settings menu. Select the keyboard and type the pairing code if asked for one.
Then select the OS by pressing the Fn key once more + Q for Android, W for Windows, or E for iOS. This remaps the keyboard and enables certain features.
If you’ve ever typed on a laptop, typing on this keyboard will feel right at home. The keys themselves use a short travel distance before actuation, additionally, the keys require moderate force to be pressed in and not great if you type lightly, but never once did I wonder if a key was pressed.
Everybody types differently, so take my next few comments on the typing experience cautiously. Personally, over the years I have memorized the QWERTY keyboard and can type without looking at the keyboard and use my pointer (left) and middle finger (right) to type on a keyboard. My word per minute averages in the upper 50s.
I started off by typing random sentences that would pop into my head to see how quickly I could react to the keyboard and learn the keyboard layout. Surprisingly, the keyboard’s layout is well spaced and I began to get the hang of the typing experience quickly.
One annoyance I had was the incorporation of the tiny backspace button found in the top right corner. While I can understand it’s hard to keep full sized keys on a keyboard this small, its location is quite poor as well. My typing tends to have a stronger force, therefore, tapping the backspace button causes the left side of the keyboard to lift up.
Luckily, the enter key is a large key with the shift keys being slightly shrunken, but still a reasonable size.
When copying notes from paper and typing them with the keyboard, this slowed down my words per minute, but the typing experience went smoothly.
In terms of noise, the keyboard appears to use zero sound damping and typing on the keyboard does cause some plastic on plastic noise. The best way to describe the noise is, if you were in an average room with people walking in and out, the noise would go unnoticed. However, if you were in a library, you may begin to think you were slightly too loud. Don’t get me wrong, the keyboard doesn’t reflect the noise of a mechanical keyboard, but could certainly be quieter.
The final mention for this keyboard is its traveling ability. Its 0.39lb body weight allows it to be easily carried in a pocket or backpack. Then for battery power, the keyboard seems to never die as the battery lasts for hours upon hours and nearly forever if you never open it up, meaning when you need it again, it’s ready. Recharging takes only a few hours on a 1.0A USB port.
My Final Thoughts
Almost laughably, iClever lists this product on Amazon for the hefty price of $50, however, their “sale” (never ending) is a more reasonable price of $33. For $33, the iClever foldable Bluetooth keyboard is a sensible unit for those who tend to be on the go or those who can’t stand typing on a virtual keyboard . It lives up to its intentions and works as needed; I wouldn’t go for any other foldable keyboard.
Buy it Now:
© 2015 techsupportforum.com
