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Jelly Pro super mini 4G smartphone review

While most new smartphones make it a point to feature larger displays with each new generation of phone, the designers at Unihertz decided to go the opposite direction when they created the Jelly Pro smartphone. This doll-sized Android smartphone might fool you into thinking that it’s a toy. Let me tell you, it’s not. Grab your magnifying glass and let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

Jelly is a tiny Android smartphone that’s pocket and budget-friendly and can support 2 SIM cards and a micro SD card for memory expansion.

What’s in the box?

Jelly Pro
micro USB cable
User manual

Hardware specs

Processor: Quad Core 1.1Ghz
Display: 2.45 inch 240×230 pixel touchscreen
Operating System: Android 7.0
Memory: Flash: 2GB RAM + 16GB
Expandable Memory: Removable microSD
Network: 4G LTE, GSM 850 (Band5)/900 (Band8)/1800 (Band3)/1900 (Band2) MHz;WCDMA 850 (Band5)/900 (Band8)/1900 (Band2)/2100 (Band1) MHz;FDD-LTE Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/19/20; TD-LTE: Band 40
WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
Camera (rear): 8MP, (front): 2MP
Battery: 3,300mAH, Non-removable
Dimensions: 3.07 x 4.92 x 1.97 in
Weight: 7 oz

Design and features

When they say that the Jelly Pro is the world’s smallest smartphone, they aren’t kidding. It looks positively adorable next to an LG V30 in the image above.

The Jelly Pro is available in black, blue, and white like the one that was sent to me.

You won’t find a metal or glass housing on the Jelly Pro. It features good old plastic which I don’t think is a bad thing. Plastic is lighter weight and tends to hold up better than glass and metal as far as scratches go.

A plastic shell can also mean that the back of the phone can be removed to gain access to a removable battery which is just what the Jelly Pro has inside.

The Jelly Pro is powered by a 950mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Also inside the phone, you’ll find 2 SIM card slots and a micro SD card slot for memory expansion.

The Jelly Pro smartphone also sports a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge.

On the bottom edge is a microphone.

The volume buttons are located on the left side of the phone.

And the power button and micro USB charging port are located on the right side of the phone.

Although the Jelly is a mini-sized phone, it has quite a large “chin”, “forehead”, and bezels for its size.

The phone is comfortable to hold because it fits easily in even the smallest of hands. It also fits in the “girl’ pockets in my jeans which I love!

The Jelly phone feels solid and is able to survive my crushing Gadgeteer squeeze test without surrendering. However, I do hear faint rattling when I shake it, which comes from the volume and power buttons.

Display

The Jelly’s touchscreen display is an eye-squinting 2.45 inches diagonally.

Tapping icons and scrolling isn’t a problem, but reading text can be a challenge.

Surfing web pages using the Jelly phone doesn’t provide the best experience either because you constantly need to scroll the page to read more text.

But the worst part about the tiny screen size becomes very noticeable when you need to input text to type in a web page address or send a text message. The onscreen touch keyboard is so small that it takes some finesse to tap the right key because your fingertip is large enough to touch 4 keys at a time. Let’s just say that I spent more typing pressing the backspace key than actual letter keys.

Camera

The Jelly Pro has a built-in 8mp camera. It’s not fair to compare this $125 phone’s camera with the camera on a $1000 iPhone X or the Pixel 2 XL, so I won’t. I’ll just show you some sample images and you can make up your own mind. But as the saying goes, the best camera is the one that’s with you, so the camera on the Jelly Pro is better than not having a camera at all.










Audio quality

This phone is small, but the built-in speaker is surprisingly loud. You’ll have no problem hearing alarms and notifications, and if you’re so inclined, you can even listen to music through the speaker. Music doesn’t sound stellar through the built-in speaker, but it’s good enough in a pinch.

Plug a set of headphones into the 3.5mm jack or pair with Bluetooth headphones and music sounds fine to pretty darn good.

Software and user interface

Surprisingly, this phone doesn’t have a watered down version of Android. It runs on Android v7.0 (Nougat), which is one version older than v8.0 Oreo which is currently the newest version of the Android operating system. That said, v7.0 is still the version that most phones are currently running.

The phone doesn’t come with any bloatware. It has just the standard core Android apps and a few extras like an FM radio app, pedometer app, file manager, flashlight, sound recorder and SIM toolkit.

Speaking of the SIM toolkit, the Jelly Pro can switch between 2 different SIM cards if you happen to have a card for work and a card for your personal business.

I’ve had the Jelly Pro for almost a month and in that time the phone has received at least two updates, which inspires confidence that this phone will have support going forward.

Using the Jelly Pro for phone calls

I have no complaints using the Jelly Pro to make and receive calls. Volume levels on both sides of the call are fine and I didn’t have any issues with dropped calls.

Overall performance and battery life using the Jelly Pro for day to day tasks

The Jelly Pro has a cool little LED battery charging indicator on the front of the phone that glows red while charging and then turns green after the phone is fully charged. I like this feature which is great considering that I had to look at it a lot due to the short battery life per charge.

If you don’t do anything at all with the Jelly Pro, you should be able to make it a full day on a charge. But if you’re using the phone to make calls, send texts, surf Instagram, etc. You’ll be charging the phone halfway through the day, if not sooner.

What I like about the Jelly Pro smartphone

The size of this phone is my favorite feature mainly because it fits in the front pocket of my snug jeans and I forget it’s there unlike my Pixel 2 XL which sticks 2/3rds out of the back pocket of my jeans.

The Jelly Pro is a cute phone and people will ask you about it when they see you using it. It’s also fun to use as long as all you really want and need to do is to make and receive calls with it.

What needs to be improved

Although the Jelly Pro is considered a smartphone, you probably won’t want to do a lot of smart things with it. You won’t want to read the latest ebook on it, surf your favorite sites on it, play your favorite games with it, or even text your BFF with it unless your answers to questions consist of 1-3 letter answers like K and sup. The screen is just too freaking tiny for any of those tasks.

I’m not saying that it isn’t possible to do all those things with the Jelly Pro smartphone. I’m just saying that you probably won’t want to if you have adult sized fingers and older eyeballs like me.

Final thoughts

In a world full of phablets, it’s refreshing to see an alternative like the Jelly Pro. Testing this phone made me remember the early days of cell phones when I could carry one in my pocket without worrying that it would fall out.

The Jelly Pro is the perfect little phone for people who only want to make and receive calls or want a vacation from a “real” smartphone.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Unihertz. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $124.99
Manufacturer: Unihertz
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Bargain priced
  • Pocket friendly
  • Built-in FM radio
Cons:
  • Battery life is short
  • Tiny onscreen keyboard is tough to use

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Jelly Pro super mini 4G smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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Chipolo CARD Bluetooth Item Finder review

Coming in from a brisk walk around the park near your office, you sit down at your desk and notice something is… off. The familiar lump in your front pocket where you always keep your wallet is conspicuously absent. You try the other pocket, nothing. Your stomach feels cold.

Then your mind begins to race, trying to remember everywhere you could have been in the past couple hours. Just then, you remember the small device you have pushed between the other cards in your wallet, a tiny device from Chipolo, the CARD Bluetooth wallet finder.

Wallet, found! At least as close as Bluetooth range.

You dig out your iPhone and launch the app. Sure enough, it can’t find the device within range, so you know it’s somewhere out there. The park perhaps. That bench you like to sit on every once in a while when the sun is out. You can see on the map screen that your hunch is correct, there’s a circle toward the middle of the park where you’re pretty sure you were sitting.

With your phone in hand, you start back toward the bench. A quick glance at the app’s “connected devices” screen reveals that your wallet is nearby. You tap the icon and press the “sound alarm” button and hear a faint electronic melody. As you approach your favorite bench, the melody grows louder, and at last you spot it. Your wallet, right where it fell out of your pocket.

You feel a rush of relief as you rifle through your cash and cards, everything’s still there.

This was about the distance I was standing where I could connect and hear the alarm.

This little story is a rather common occurrence… however the difference between a happy ending and finding your lost wallet, or having to cancel all of your credit cards and get a new license could be due to a simple little device from Chipolo called the CARD.

By the time I walked up to it, it was chiming fairly loudly.

Specs and Function

The CARD is a small, thin device that looks like it could be a simple remote control.

Easily fits into any credit card slot in a wallet.

The exact size is 1.45 inch x 2.67 inch x 0.08 inch and it weighs next to nothing. The CARD primarily designed to be placed in a wallet, but you can put it in almost anything you want to keep tabs on, like a purse or perhaps even a bike bag. It’s waterproof and the battery lasts for approximately 12 months, according to the website, which is also the length of time it’s guaranteed for. Naturally, the device is useless once the battery is dead, but Chipolo has a renewal program that offers you a discount on replacement devices.

The CARD itself is very simple. Basically, it’s a simple Bluetooth finder that, when paired with an app, will show you its last location when the connection was lost. You can easily see in Chipolo’s app if the device is within range. If it’s connected, you can tap a button on your phone to sound a musical alarm on the device. Or, conversely, if you have the device and can’t find your phone, you can press the large button on the CARD to make your phone ring.

That’s a pretty nice feature and especially handy if you’re prone to losing your phone at the bottom of a bag or in couch cushions.

In an effort to give the CARD a fair test, I left the device itself at my house and drove several miles away. When I looked up the last known location, it identified that the device was at a location I labeled “home,” and displayed where it was, and where I was, on a map.

You can assign locations on the map to make finding your lost item even easier.

I immediately knew where it was and how much time had passed since I was out of range. It also gave me a fairly specific area of where it was when zoomed in on the map. More than likely, when going back to find the lost CARD, you might have to keep the Connected screen up until you see it come within range. Of course, if someone made off with your item, there would be nothing there to find, and it wouldn’t show back up on the map.

In case of such an event, the CARD has a “Lost” mode. If a device is labeled as lost, then it sends out a signal to any Chipolo app in range and tells the stranger that there is a lost item nearby, and sounds the alarm. If another user finds the device, it will notify you through the app, email you the new location, and guide you to the lost item. Of course, this mode only works with users who have the app itself. Likely, perhaps, in a large city or heavily trafficked area.

You can also use Chipolo’s web app to find your phone. Just log in to the community page to send a message to your phone’s screen and sound an alert. With any luck, the person who finds it will see that message and be able to contact you. It’s like a “Find my Phone” function on top of the one already embedded in your OS.

Another nice feature is the ability to share CARD locations with friends and family members, so they can see where other devices are on a map at any time, sort of like Find my Friends. You can even see where their phones are as well, if they have them enabled to display on the map.

Conclusion

In my experiments with the CARD just to see how it worked, I think it would be moderately useful in finding a lost item. It would take some guessing out of where exactly you dropped something, as long as it was a stationary place. If your wallet fell out in a bus or taxi, man, good luck. The tinny chime that emits from the CARD when in search mode is fairly quiet. I think that if it was inside a wallet inside another purse or bag, in a noisy environment, it would be difficult to hear unless you were right on top of it.

That said, the app interface is really slick and I love that they included a community feature just in case another user would happen to come across a lost item. Hopefully, the only thing you’ll forget is the fact that you’re even carrying the device in your wallet. That extra piece of mind is a very nice thing.

The CARD is available now from Chipolo for $35 (or two for $70), along with other Bluetooth finder devices.

Source: The sample for this review as provided by Chipolo. Please visit their site for more information and to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $35
Manufacturer: Chipolo
Pros:
  • – slightly thicker than a credit card
  • – year-long battery life
  • – excellent smartphone app
Cons:
  • – battery cannot be replaced, need to buy more every year
  • – could take some searching to find exact location
  • – alarm tone is not very loud

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Chipolo CARD Bluetooth Item Finder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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ZTE Axon M Android smartphone review

Extended (tablet) mode

ZTE’s Axon M is one of the devices that threw us for a loop in 2017. The company managed to the be the first to come out with a foldable smartphone with two screens. A multitaskers dream, the displays on the Axon M are each a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display. Together they combine to form a 6.75″ tablet-like display with a somewhat distracting seam running down the middle.
 Unsurprisingly, weighing 8.1 ounces and measuring 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.5 inches the ZTE Axon M is heavier and bulkier than your typical smartphone, but that’s the price you pay for getting 2 displays. Fortunately, it’s still somewhat pocket friendly. Because it has its hinge on the right side, it houses most of its buttons on the left side. Running along the left side of the device, ZTE has placed a fingerprint reader that doubles as a power button, a volume button, and a third somewhat programmable button. The programmable button lets you quickly launch TV mode which in turn lets you load the YouTube or DirecTV app. That said, we’d like to have the option to program that button with whatever app we choose.
But what is especially awkward in the design is the camera placement. The Axon M houses a single 20MP camera. Taking regular non-selfie photos with the camera is an awkward experience because you have to flip the phone around.  The camera itself takes ok photos. In daylight, the photos offer pretty accurate colors and visuals are pretty sharp. But the phone struggles with autofocus and in low light, photos tend to be noisy and often blurry, probably due to the lack of optical image stabilization.
The displays on the Axon M are not flagship level displays, but they are solid displays with sharp visuals and accurate colors, we just wish they could reach higher brightness levels. The bigger issue for some may be the seam running down the middle in Extended (tablet) mode. Personally, we adjusted to it after a few days and eventually forgot it was there. It’s not that different to the notch on the iPhone X, which is also distracting at first, but you’re able to adjust to it over time.

Dual Mode

 Besides single screen mode, there is Mirror Mode, Extended Mode, and Dual (multitasking) mode. Mirror mode is useful for two people watching movies on either side or playing a game like Battleship. Extended mode takes a single app and extends it across the two displays. For example, that means you get double the real estate for your web browser or Facebook feed. Mirror mode is useful for two people watching movies on either side or playing a game like Battleship, especially if the device is folded like a tent.

Mirror Mode

 Last but not least, Dual (multitasking) mode lets you run a different application on each screen – so you can have Twitter opened on one display while watching YouTube on the other. This set up is pretty much a multitasker’s dream, and so much better than using a split screen window mode on a single cramped smartphone display.
When you start up the phone, you’ll go through an easy tutorial which shows you how to switch between different modes. A 3 finger swipe moves an application over to the opposite display.  Switching between modes is easy and generally works well, but we often ran into some slowdowns when switching between modes, as well as some app crashes. We hope that ZTE will push out an update that addresses these bugs soon. ZTE has said that they are committed to frequently updating the Axon M and that they will be updating it to Android Oreo.

The Axon M can be folded like a tent

 AT&T picked up the ZTE Axon M because it’s the perfect device for a DirecTV user. After all, you can be watching DirecTV on one display while checking your email or Tweeting on the other. We showed the device to a DirecTV user and they got really excited about it, but they actually assumed it was a tablet before we explained to them that it was a phone. Speaking of DirecTV, the Axon M comes preloaded with the DirectTV app, along with lots of AT&T bloatware apps, all running along side Android 7.1.2 Nougat.

The unibody metal construction of the Axon M is very solid

 The phone is powered by a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with 4GB of Ram. When we tested the phone with AnTuTu, it scored a benchmark of 128845. That indicates that it’s a capable, fast performer, though not nearly as fast as flagships like Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Note 8, and its performance is more in line with the Galaxy S7. In general, even in Dual mode with two apps running in tandem, performance is good and the phone is able to handle running two apps without issue. However, it’s switching between modes that can be a buggy experience sometimes.
The 3,180 mAh battery provides solid battery life, especially for a device with two displays! We were able to get a full day of use on a charge.

Final Thoughts

 We have to give ZTE tons of credit for taking the plunge and innovating in the smartphone category. One thing is for sure, the ZTE Axon M is a vision of the future. There are already rumors swirling that both Samsung and Apple are coming out with foldable smartphones, so we expect to see more competing foldable phones in the not too distant future. Overall, ZTE has done an admirable job with the Axon M, especially for a first gen device. But we’re even more excited for a second gen Axon M which we hope will be thinner, sporting a better camera, rocking bborderless displays and running less buggy software.
The ZTE Axon M is an AT&T exclusive and it retails for $724.99 off contract. The phone comes standard with an extensive (and above average) 2 year warranty that includes a free premium protection plan.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ZTE and AT&T. Please visit their site for more info.
 

Product Information

Price: $724.99
Manufacturer: ZTE
Retailer: AT&T
Pros:
  • Two screens – did we mention two screens!? Switching between modes is easy
  • This is a multitasker’s dream device
  • Good battery life and performance despite having two displays
  • Sports an audio jack and microSD card slot
  • Ideal for DirecTV users
  • Well made unibody metal design
Cons:
  • AT&T exclusive
  • Camera is awkward to use
  • Software can be buggy
  • Middle seam can be distracting
  • Pricey

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ZTE Axon M Android smartphone review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2 review

If you want to record audio on the iPhone, you always have the built-in microphone. But if you want to step up your recording game, connecting an external microphone can be a little daunting.  The IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2 is a quality, affordable condenser microphone that will do the trick.

  • Microphone Type: condenser, electret
  • Capsule Size: 0.55″
  • Polar Pattern: cardioid
  • Interface Type: USB digital microphone with a built-in low-noise, high-definition preamp
  • Conversion: 24-bit A/D, 24-bit D/A
  • Sampling Rate: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz
  • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz, -3 dB
  • Maximum Sound Pressure: 125 dB
  • Sensitivity: -40 dB, 10 mV/Pa
  • Windscreen: built-in
  • Sensitivity: adjustable over a 40 dB range
  • Controls: Built-in low profile input gain and headphone volume contols/li>
  • Metering: Built-in multicolor LED for status and audio level indication
  • Connector Type: standard Micro-USB
  • Headphones Output: 1/8″ TRS jack
  • Power: powered by connected device

Package includes

  • iRig Mic HD 2 microphone
  • Lightning to micro-USB cable
  • USB to micro-USB cable
  • Protective storage bag
  • Mic clamp
  • 5/8″ to 3/8″ thread adapter
  • Table top stand

Dimensions

  • Size: 188mm/7.4″ x 49mm/1.93″
  • Weight: 325g/11.46oz
  • Cables length: 1.5m/59″

For you road warriors, the scale showed 11.44 oz for the mic itself, pretty much in line with the published specs.

 I was pleased to see that the iRig Mic HD 2 came with a zippered bag that actually fits all of the included pieces.
On the front end is a condenser electret microphone with a cardioid pattern.
On the back end is a headphone jack for monitoring, and a recessed mini USB port.  The recessed nature of the port really limits the cables you can use, so I stuck with the ones that came with the kit.

Speaking of cables, the kit comes with two.  One connects to your standard USB, the other is Lightning for iOS devices.
You’ll find two knobs on the mic body:  One for microphone gain, and the other for headphone monitoring.  And LED blinks blue, red, green and orange to let you know what’s going on.

This page in the instructions shows what the colors mean. If it’s blue, increase gain.  If it’s red, you’re probably clipping and need to turn things down. Ideally, you’ll want to be in the green or orange range.

This little fold-up tripod is a great addition. I noticed the mic clip even comes with a threaded adapter to use with a standard “camera” style tripod attachment as well as a mic stand.

So how does the microphone sound? I placed these two microphones side by side in my purpose-built sound room, to eliminate variables of environmental noise.  On the left is the Neumann TLM103, and on the right is the iRig Mic HD 2.

Before you readers with Golden Ears cry afoul, I KNOW these are like apples and oranges: The TLM103 is a large-diaphragm condenser, and the iRig is an electret condenser.  But apples and oranges are both fruit for different occasions, and I would hesitate dragging my Neumann outside the house.

These two clips were recorded at the same time. No EQ or compression added.

Sample 1:  The Neumann TLM103 with a Grace Audio M101 preamp and Yamha AG03 mixer to a fanless PC recording with Audacity.

Sample 2: iRig Mic HD 2 connected directly to an iPhone 7Plus


Comparing the two samples, the Neumann TLM103 (and other gear) sounded just a little warmer. The iRig Mic HD 2 sounded terrific.  Maybe just a hint brighter and some barely imperceptible noise deep in the grass. Unless you’re doing industrial tests in anechoic chambers, or you have a serious case of “I must spend 10x more money”, the iRig Mic HD 2 is an excellent value in a compact package.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by IK Multimedia. Please visit http://www.ikmultimedia.com/ for more info and Amazon to order one.

 

Product Information

Price: $129.99
Manufacturer: IK Multimedia
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • USB or Lightning port
Pros:
  • Quality condenser microphone at an affordable price. Comes with all the cables and a mini tripod.
Cons:
  • I would have preferred two LEDs for sound level (one for signal, a second for clip). Dials are a little hard to use unless you have baby fingers.

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IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2 review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Logitech Craft keyboard review

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I’ve been writing about and reviewing products for over 20 years now and in that time, I’ve come to learn that the most important tools for my job are a camera, a mouse, and a keyboard. Today I want to tell you about a new keyboard that I’m testing (and typing on right now). It’s the Logitech Craft keyboard and it’s a stunner.

What is it?

The Craft keyboard from Logitech is a full-sized premium wireless keyboard that’s been designed to be used on your desk when paired with a laptop, desktop computer, phone or tablet.

Hardware specs

Connection support: Logitech Unifying 2.4GHz wireless technology Bluetooth Low Energy technology
Power: Rechargeable with USB type C cable (included)
Size: 5.87 x 16.93 x 1.26 in

Design and features

The keyboard has low profile non-mechanical keys that are more like a laptop keyboard than a traditional desktop keyboard. You can click the image above to get a closer look at the QWERTY layout which includes a dedicated number pad on the right side and a row of function keys along the top.

The keys have a comfortably rounded depression on top of each key and the matte finish of the plastic feels great under your fingertips.

Even though the Logitech Craft keyboard does not have mechanical keys, I really really like the feel of the keys. I’m a touch typist, so I’m picky when it comes to keyboards, and I enjoy typing on this one.

The Logitech Craft keyboard has a power switch on the back and a USB Type-C port beside it which is used to charge the keyboard’s internal batteries. According to the Craft product page on Logitech’s site, the keyboard’s batteries should last for a full week on a charge. That has to be a mistake because I’ve been using this keyboard for several weeks and it’s still going strong.

There’s a small LED in the upper right corner of the keyboard will glow red to indicate that the keyboard needs to be recharged.

One of the notable features of the Craft keyboard is the Crown input dial in the upper left corner. This smoothly turning knob provides a different function in a variety of applications and can be customized in the Logitech application that you can install on your Windows or macOS computer.

If you don’t install the application, turning the Crown will adjust volume levels up and down on your computer, while pressing the dial will play or pause music, and pressing and turning the dial at the same time will adjust screen brightness.


When you install the Logitech Options application, it will detect the applications that you have installed on your computer and will allow you to customize what the Crown can do in each of these apps when each detected app is in focus.

For example, if you are working in a web browser like Chrome or Firefox, turning the Crown will let you switch between tabs.

In Photoshop, the Crown can do different things based on the tool that you have selected. If you have the cropping tool selected, rotating the Crown will zoom in and out on your image, if you have a paintbrush selected, turning the Crown will change the size of the brush, etc.

Once you can train yourself to use the Crown, it becomes very useful.

You can also add other applications not detected by the Logitech Options app to add Craft Crown capabilities to other apps on your computer.

In addition to customizing the function of the Crown knob, you can also customize the function of the F-keys.

Unfortunately, you can’t setup macros for the F-keys. You can only choose from a list of features.

By default, the function keys already offer features that will let you set screen brightness, media controls including next, previous track, play/pause and volume. But you can also use it to show open windows or show all apps.

The Logitech Craft keyboard also has backlit keys. You can adjust the brightness of the keys using the function keys and built-in proximity sensors will cause the keys to light up to “welcome” you when your hands get near the keyboard after it’s been idle and then the backlight will fade in intensity depending on ambient lighting. I have the backlight turned off to save battery life, but the “welcome” feature still works even with that setting.

This keyboard can be paired with up to 3 devices using Bluetooth and/or the unified USB dongle that is included with the keyboard. Switching between paired devices is easily accomplished using the dedicated 1, 2, and 3 device switch keys next to the number pad.

I did all my testing of the Logitech Craft keyboard with my 12″ MacBook and a Pixel 2 XL smartphone. Switching between devices was fast and effortless.

What I like

This keyboard has a premium look and feel. It’s heavy which is a good thing. It stays put and won’t slide around on your desk.

The feel of the keys and the sound of the keystrokes has a perfect level that’s not too loud or too soft.

I like using the Crown knob mainly for adjusting volume and sometimes find that I forget to use it in other apps because I’ve used my mouse or keyboard shortcuts for various functions for so long that it’s tough to break that habit and use a different way of doing things.

One feature that I was really surprised to have with the Craft keyboard is a Windows-style delete key that even works when paired with my MacBook. If you’re familiar with macOS computers, you’ll know that the delete key is really a backspace key which removes the character to the left of the cursor but we don’t have a dedicated key to delete the character to the right of the cursor like Windows computers. I am excited that the delete key on the Craft keyboard lets me have the best of both worlds.

What needs to be improved

If battery life is really only supposed to last 1 week per charge, then that would be at the top of my improvement list.

As I mentioned above, I’ve been using this keyboard for 3 or more weeks every day for at least an hour and it’s still running on the initial charge, so I can’t complain about battery life until I’ve had a lot more time with this keyboard.

Look for an update after the first of the year when I am able to get a better handle on battery life expectations.

Another improvement I’d like to see is the ability to program macros for the F-keys instead of only being able to choose from a pre-set list of functions using the Logitech Options app.

Final thoughts

I enjoy using the Logitech Craft wireless keyboard. The keyboard is very well made and I find it comfortable to type on. The Crown knob adds a new way to interact with my apps that is fun and intuitive.

If the $200 price tag doesn’t frighten you away, the Logitech Craft keyboard is worth checking out.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Logitech. Please visit their site for more info and check Amazon for lower prices.

 

Product Information

Price: $199.99
Manufacturer: Logitech
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Can be used with up to 3 devices
  • Comfortable keys and layout
  • Programmable knob and function keys
  • Delete button for macOS devices
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Possible battery life limitations (I will need to revisit this)

Filed in categories: Reviews

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Logitech Craft keyboard review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 3, 2017 at 3:00 pm.

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