Compact Bluetooth keyboard with an interesting touchpad

I first spotted this keyboard about a year and a half ago. I even wanted to buy it on AliExpress, but it didn’t work out :(
And now I’ve come across this keyboard again, this time as yet another product ordered specifically for a review.
I’ll try to figure out whether it really is a good keyboard, or whether I was mistaken the first time around.

The first time, I even contacted the seller specifically. He charged for shipping to Ukraine but offered free shipping to Russia. I asked him why, and whether he could ship it to us for free. He replied that those were the rules.
Back then I was a complete newcomer to the world of Chinese products and to dealing with sellers in Chinese stores, so I just gave up on it.

But some time ago I spotted this keyboard in the Ichbeer store, so naturally I picked one up to try.
Besides, I hadn’t come across any reviews of this keyboard.

No complaints about the packaging—they wrapped it up really well :)


The keyboard itself comes in a blister pack. The blister is reusable (that is, you can open and close it without leaving any visible signs), and it’s made of fairly rigid plastic, which is a plus for shipping.




Batteries aren’t included. I suspect they were originally supplied, since there’s a compartment for them in the blister pack, but they’re probably removed to avoid problems with the postal service.
Actually, I originally wanted the radio version of this keyboard, not the Bluetooth one, but I didn’t notice the difference when ordering. It’s not a big deal, except that you can’t use this keyboard to enter a computer’s BIOS :(
Android, Windows, and iOS support are listed. I was only able to test it with the first two, and had no problems. I don’t have an Apple device to test it with.


It came with an instruction manual in English, though I don’t think that’s a problem, since everything is clear anyway.


And here’s the beauty itself. It’s classic black and looks pretty good, at least at first glance.
The keyboard is designed to sit at an angle on the desk.


The angle comes from a raised section that runs the full length of the keyboard. The battery compartment is inside this raised section, too.


Next to the battery compartment is the only control: the power switch.
The keyboard runs on two AAA batteries. There’s a plastic half-ring in the middle of the compartment to hold the batteries in place. Honestly, though, I don’t see why this is necessary—a piece of foam would have been enough, as is usually the case. Still, it’s nice that they thought of the user.
There are also three rubber feet on the bottom, but unfortunately they slip a little during active use because the keyboard is so light.


Let’s install the batteries and try turning it on.


Before pairing the keyboard with a computer, press Esc+K on the new keyboard.
It connected without any problems: the computer detected the keyboard, prompted me to enter a code and confirm it, and the keyboard paired literally a second after I entered the code.
A range test showed that with a clear line of sight, it works reliably at a distance of 8-10 m. With an obstacle such as an interior concrete wall in the way, the range drops to 5-6 m.
Unfortunately, the keyboard can only be paired with one device. If it is connected to one computer, pairing it with a second computer breaks the connection to the first, and you have to pair it again.
Strangely, XP didn't ask for a password at all; it just connected and worked right away.


It's not all that small for a mobile keyboard, but it's not as big as a regular one, either.
Dimensions: 262x85x20 mm
It looks like something between a familiar desktop keyboard and a small keyboard for TV boxes.


Unfortunately, the keyboard doesn't have a Russian layout. That's a drawback, of course, at least for most of our users :(
It's a shame that keyboards with a Russian layout are so hard to find.


The top row has function keys for iOS, Android, and Windows.


These keys switch the F1-F12 keys between modes; the table shows what each one does.
If you switch to Android mode but use the keyboard in Windows, the keys will work as described for Android. For example, F11 will control the sound on/off function.


Besides choosing what the function keys do, there are four more functions accessed with Fn.
The small number of functions accessed this way makes the keyboard a little easier to use; for the most part, you don't need to press Fn.


I have no complaints about the key build quality; everything is neatly made.


The key legends are painted on, but as far as I can tell, they have an additional protective coating. This is considered one of the least durable options. If you'd like to read more, there's a whole article on the wiki.
I wonder, are there keyboards like this with laser-engraved legends?


And what initially caught my eye about this keyboard was its large touchpad.
But the main thing about it isn't just the touchpad itself: it can also emulate a numeric keypad—or, more precisely, the keyboard's number pad.
The thing is, I'm very used to using a separate number pad when entering numbers, and I sometimes need to enter them quite often. It always bothered me that smaller keyboards don't have one.
The only thing I'm not used to is the rather accounting-style zero setup, with two keys, 0 and 00. I'm used to one large 0 key.

The touchpad measures 50 × 80 mm.
Moving up or down covers roughly the height of a 1080-pixel screen.
Moving left or right covers slightly less than the width of a 1920-pixel screen.
Left-click: tap once on the touchpad.
Right-click: tap with three fingers.


To switch between touchpad and number-pad mode, swipe your finger along the strip above the number pad.
At first, I was worried I'd have to move slowly so the keyboard could figure out what I wanted. But in practice, it turns out to be the opposite: you need to move your finger quickly. There's no need to press down, and switching is easy. But if you move slowly, it sometimes doesn't switch.


There had to be a catch, of course, though by now I'm used to it and tend to look for one rather than wonder whether there is one at all.
I can't tell whether this was intentional or just how it turned out (a bug or a feature, in other words), but the top part of the keyboard sits higher above the surface than the bottom part.
It's hard to describe; easier to see in the photo.


Interestingly, this isn't an issue on the left side.


The touchpad also sticks out a little at one corner. I tried pressing it in farther or prying it out, but neither attempt worked. It's in there very firmly and is clearly glued in place.


Looking at the keyboard's top edge, you can see the key mechanism.
On the one hand, it's bad that the keys aren't recessed into the case, so dust and debris can get in. On the other hand, debris gets into a closed keyboard pretty easily too, and it's harder to pick out.
The bigger problem is that when the keys stick out, you could snag and pull a couple off while stuffing the keyboard into a bag. So it's not very suitable for mobile use :(


Naturally, I wanted to take the keyboard apart. My readers are used to me taking apart everything that falls into my hands.
But alas, this is probably the first thing I've simply been physically unable to take apart.
As far as I can tell, the metal (probably tinplate) base of the keyboard is glued to the plastic case. The electronics are presumably in the bulge at the bottom; there's nowhere else they could fit.
All my attempts to open it ended with me simply pulling off a couple of keys, but at least I got to see how they're made.
It's a standard rubber-dome keyboard, with the scissor-switch mechanism commonly used in laptop keyboards.


I put the keys back in place and moved on to adding Russian lettering to the keyboard.
I hadn't bought lettering stickers for this kind of job in years, so I was surprised to find that they're not only readily available and inexpensive, but that I could even get them within a 15-minute walk from home :)


Just in case, I bought a couple of options: transparent stickers with only the Russian letters printed on them, and black ones that completely cover the original key legends.
In practice, I really liked the transparent option.
I needed tweezers and a small knife to do the job (to lift the stickers off the sheet).
The stickers also protect the original legends from wearing off.


I was worried the blue would look washed out against the black. I'd used red and yellow before, but it turned out even better than I expected.
Why don't Chinese stores just include sheets like these with their keyboards?


While adding the Russian letters, I completely forgot to mention a couple of important things in my keyboard review.
The key travel is fairly deep for a small keyboard, at about 2 mm. The feel is good, and you can clearly feel the keys actuate. There's almost no noise.
You could say it feels a lot like a laptop keyboard (and I strongly suspect that's exactly what it is).


The main keys measure 15×12 mm and are comfortable to press, but the extra keys are only 10.5 mm wide, which makes them trickier. I'll explain below why I noticed this.


After adding Russian letters to the main keys, I had a few stickers left over.
They were the hard sign, the letter Х, and Э. On this keyboard, these aren't in their usual places in the letter row; they're down at the bottom, on the small extra keys (between Alt and the left arrow).
That's why I mentioned the size of the small keys. The position of these letters may be inconvenient, especially if you're switching back and forth between a regular keyboard and this one.


That's it, there's just one sticker left: the letter Ґ, which shouldn't be confused with Г.
In theory, it goes on the / key, and the sticker maker offered two options for that key: one with the letter and one with a slash.
I never learned this letter at school, have never used it, and only found out about it when my daughter started school. So I decided not to use it at all.


A comparison with the keyboard from this review.
The new one is clearly larger, has a more convenient key layout instead of just a matrix, and a bigger touchpad.
The first is better for truly mobile use, while the second is more suited to home use.


Summary.
Pros
Convenient size.
Large touchpad with a numeric keypad emulation feature (which is what I liked about it).
Lightweight
Stable operation
Good tactile feel.
The keys aren't rubber; they're proper plastic keys with a scissor mechanism.
The size and design of the keys make it possible to add Russian letters using stickers.

Cons
Some minor overall roughness in the build quality
Because it's lightweight, the keyboard may slide around on the desk.
Runs on batteries.
No status indicators.
The X, E, and hard sign keys ended up in awkward positions for typing.
No Russian letters on the keys.

My take: The keyboard has its pros and cons, as they all do. The otherwise convenient layout of the main keys is let down by the awkward placement of three extra keys, which could be a deal-breaker for fast typing.
You can tell a lot of thought went into the design, but there are a few assembly flaws.
It's hard to say about the raised top row of keys; I think it would have been better to recess them further.
The touchpad really is convenient. Switching between the touchpad and numeric keypad works reliably, though it may cause problems if you move your finger very slowly.
The fact that the keyboard uses Bluetooth rather than a regular radio connection is both a plus and a minus. If you use it with a TV box, it won't take up a USB port; if you use it with a regular desktop PC, you'll need to buy a Bluetooth adapter. Another downside is that you can't enter the BIOS with this keyboard, which could be a deal-breaker.

Overall, it'll be convenient for occasional use. I don't think it's suitable for everyday use, though it may just be a matter of getting used to it.

That's about it. I'll be waiting for your questions in the comments :)


The product was provided by the store for review.