The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a fantastic addition to your iPad if you do a lot of word processing or typing while on the move. The Ultrathin Keyboard incorporates a full QWERTY keyboard and a smart cover, meaning the iPad will turn off or on automatically. Thanks to the magnetic strip on the side of the Ultrathin Keyboard, the keyboard can fold over onto the iPad for safe traveling. Check out our review after the break.
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Score:
7.5 / 10
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The Good:
Easy to use, great battery life, compact
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The Bad:
Needs stronger magnets, can’t flip back, expensive
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Bottom Line:
A great addition to your iPad but has flaws
Build
Stewart Wilson / techgeek.com.au
The Ultrathin Keyboard is essentially a Bluetooth keyboard for your iPad 2 or your “new iPad” (iPad 3). The keyboard simply attaches to your iPad by two magnetic hinges and can simply fold over onto the screen, protecting both the screen and the keyboard while traveling with the iPad. The outside of the Ultrathin Keyboard is an aluminum case which looks very similar to the outside of the iPad itself. The actual keyboard itself is made out of a glossy black plastic which looks fantastic when paired with the iPad. Since it is glossy, finger print marks and dust is visible – so it might be a good idea to clean it every now and then. Like a smart cover, the iPad will automatically sleep when closed and automatically wake up when opened. One problem with the cover is that it cannot flip back like a smart cover. Meaning if you want to use the iPad quickly without the keyboard, you’ll need to leave in dangling off (which it will then fall off due to not having strong enough magnets) or completely detaching it and storing it elsewhere. These issues mean it’s not very travel friendly.
Using the keyboard itself is very easy, however, you’ll need to detach the iPad from Ultrathin Keyboard and then place it into the magnetic slot. The Ultrathin keyboard is designed for the iPad to sit in landscape mode, however, putting the iPad into the portrait orientation seems to work fine as well. The keyboard isn’t a full size keyboard that you’ll find on a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro but it is similar to a keyboard you would find on a NetBook.
Stewart Wilson / techgeek.com.au
On the top row of the keyboard, you’ll find a series of function keys that allow you to quickly perform shortcuts that are available on the iPad. These include home button, copy and paste, volume control, undo and much more. They keyboard is otherwise fully featured complete with a command key and caps lock. We would of loved to see a little indication light when caps lock was on but unfortunately, this wasn’t present.
Connectivity
Stewart Wilson / techgeek.com.au
The Ultrathin keyboard connects wirelessly to your iPad via Bluetooth. Pairing is very simple and doesn’t require a PIN like some products. Simply switch on the keyboard, then open up the Bluetooth settings menu on the iPad and select the Logitech keyboard from the menu. The iPad will remember this and you can simply turn on the keyboard next time and start using it. To charge the keyboard, a Micro USB cable is provided and can be simply plugged into a computer to charge. Logitech claims that the battery will last 6 months on a single charged based on 2 hours of use per day. It is too early to determine if this is true or not, however, we did not have to charge the keyboard once while we were reviewing it.
Final Words
The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a fantastic option if you need a physical keyboard for your iPad. However, at approx $99, it is a tad pricey. Despite some small issues it has, the Ultrathin keyboard is easy to use, has great battery life and would prove to be a great companion to those who type a lot on their iPads.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but opinions are my own.