I don’t like the idea of keyboard case for my iPad because Bluetooth keyboard adds extra weight. I dislike having to carry that extra weight when most of the time I don’t need to use any physical keyboard. Therefore, I prefer separate unit of Bluetooth keyboard that I can opt to carry whenever I plan to do some activities that might require physical keyboard. In the past, I have tried and reviewed Logitech Tablet Keyboard for iPad and Belkin YourType Keyboard + Stand for iPad. I quickly got rid of the Logitech keyboard mainly because that particular model that I tested was too heavy. The Belkin keyboard remains my primary tablet keyboard until today. I prefer to use my Belkin keyboard even after I tried the ZaggKeys Folio case for iPad mini with Bluetooth keyboard and backlit keys.
Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard is a Bluetooth keyboard that can be paired with 3 devices. It has connection switch showing Windows, Android and iPad/iPhone, but in reality we can pair any combination of 3 devices including Mac OS X which is not listed there.
Now that I have three tablets of three different operating systems (iPad mini 2, Google Nexus 7 2013 and Toshiba Encore 8), I continuously need to re-pair my Belkin keyboard with another tablet device. So when I read about this nice mobile keyboard from Microsoft, I decided to give it a try.
Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard comes in 2 color options: black and grey/white. Initially I planned to get the grey/white model. However, it seems like only black model is available in Australia, so I got the black model anyway.
Upon opening the box, I quickly see a nice Bluetooth keyboard. The build quality is great and the keyboard feels solid. The outer-surface of the cover unit has some sort of rubbery feeling, which I quite like, but attract dust too fast. This cover can be detached from the keyboard as it’s only attached by strong magnet. We can choose to use both pieces attached together, or the cover can be positioned a bit far from the keyboard, giving more flexibility in various situations of usage as the cover acts as tablet stand.
Microsoft wants us to use the cover as the stand for our tablets. They prepared two ridges to hold our devices with two possible angles. However, I quickly stopped using them for my iPad as I feel that the material for the ridges is too hard and could potentially damage my device. The space between those ridges are narrow, it will hold most modern smartphones and tablets, but I don’t think it could even hold Microsoft’s own Surface Pro. Sadly we can’t use this case to use our tablet on our lap because the cover won’t hold the tablet in laptop-style angled hinge. The hinge is not designed to hold weight. The cover opens to 180 degrees where both pieces lie flat on a desk or other flat surface. So even though we can place the keyboard virtually everywhere, our tablet/smartphone needs a flat surface or a dedicated stand other than the cover.
This keyboard automatically turns on and attempts to connect to our device once the cover is opened. It automatically disconnects when we close the cover. Very handy as we don’t need to remember to turn off the keyboard. Initial pairing is easy, just choose one of the three device options and press the side button. You will quickly find this keyboard listed in our smartphone/tablet’s Bluetooth menu.
I paired this keyboard with my Toshiba Encore 8 (Windows 8.1 tablet), iPad mini 2 and Google Nexus 7 (2013) with Android Kit Kat 4.4.4. The pairing process with iPad and Android tablet was very smooth and easy. The pairing process with Windows 8.1 was a bit more difficult as I need to repeat the pairing process three times before the keyboard finally appeared in my tablet’s Bluetooth menu. After the initial pairing, the connection is reasonably stable. One thing worth to mention is that this keyboard does NOT support smartphones with Windows Phone OS. So your Lumia will not work with this keyboard. Not really “universal”, and it’s a shame that it comes from Microsoft itself.
Battery life is not an issue with this keyboard. It comes with rechargeable battery (using micro-USB to recharge) and Microsoft says one charge is good for up to 6 months.
Personally, I like the overall size of this keyboard. It’s slim and small enough for me to put it in any place/bag/pouch. However, just like any other “super compact” keyboards, the keys are smaller than full-size keyboards. It does take time to get use to, but they’re generally very usable and reasonably comfortable. The tactile feedback feels nice and I could easily type some good amount of texts while on-the-go using this nice little accessory.
In summary, I have mixed feeling about this product. I love the size, the keys and the functionality to pair with 3 devices. I like the small details that makes everyday usage a lot easier, like auto switch on when cover is opened. However, I am disappointed that the tablet stand functionality does not deliver. It could not convince me to entrust my tablet between those ridges.
You might look at the users who have found this product defective. The battery fails to charge on brand new items. I am a vicim of this. It seems to be quite common. Check the number of ‘defective’ keyboards being sold on eBay or for ‘parts and repair’. Microsoft have a big fail with this product.