Features and Specifications- 5 row keyboard with 75 keys
- Built in removable folding device stand
- Unique folding design, a truly portable keyboard for our mobile world
- Comes with stylish leather effect pouch
- Uses two AAA batteries (supplied) for 90 hours use
- Connects to a wide range of devices, including iPhone, iPad, PlayStation and Android 2.1+ devices
- Multiple function and shortcut keys, including cut, copy, paste, undo, search, home, brightness, lock and sleep.
- In Android, 12 user defined shortcut keys for launching your favourite apps.
- Regularly updated driver software that adds functionality.
Packaging
The Freedom keyboard comes in a well-organised cardboard box, with the keyboard and case snugly secured in their own separate compartments.
The back of the back includes a list of features for both Android and iOS, as well as some images of the device.
Physical Design
The physical design of the keyboard is pretty straight-forward. The keyboard has a rounded black plastic chassis that is glossy on the back and seems quite durable.
On the left hand side of the keyboard is a small hump that contains the batteries and also cleverly serves to lock the two pieces of the keyboard together when it is folded up.
The fold in the middle necessitates that the keys are layed out slightly differently than they would be on a standard keyboard- the G key is smaller than you’d expect, while the H key is much larger. It gets more normal pretty quickly as you head in either direction, with normally spaced and sized keys. The space bar is split into two sections as well. The backspace key is a bit smaller than on most keyboards, but everything else is pretty much in the same place. There are even cursor keys integrated in the bottom right hand corner.
On the left hand side there are media keys – volume up, volume down and mute. There’s also play/pause, skip forward and skip backward. To the left of these there are two indicator LEDs and an on-off switch. There’s also a recessed pairing key. Finally, at the very top centre of the keyboard there’s a physical switch for locking and unlocking the folding mechanism.
The keys themselves are quite good – the texture is nice although the key legends are pasted on rather than printed. The travel is quite good given the small size, although it’s nowhere near a true desktop keyboard.
Recessed inside the keyboard is a folding stand. This provides you with an elevated viewing platform, which fits in well with the keyboard’s designed role as a long-form writing aid.
The case is made of faux-leather and looks quite normal, in a typical black colour. The case fits the keyboard well and has clearly been made just for this particular keyboard.
Testing Methodology
I’ll be using the keyboard in a variety of applications, including emails, word processing, texts and article writing. This should ensure a full and comprehensive look at how the keyboard performs.
Testing Results
In short form writing such as texts and brief emails, the keyboard is a bit too bulky to be worthwhile – the speed advantage you gain from the keyboard doesn’t make up for the time spent turning it on, unfolding it and generally getting it ready. For longer form pieces like emails, notes or articles though, the keyboard is in its element – it’s much more comfortable to write for long periods, and the shortcut keys make it easy to control your media while you’re doing so. It’s the ideal on-train solution, as it’s small enough to easily fit in your bag and provides a drastic improvement in typing experience over both the on-screen keyboard and smaller Bluetooth keyboards. The stand also serves well, elevating the phone and providing a good view over the document you’re writing.
Conclusion
While the keyboard proved quite good for typing, there are a few downsides – most notably the large size. However, through the clever folding design and good protection afforded by the leather cover, these are neatly ameliorated. While the keyboard isn’t as stylish as the more expensive Apple Bluetooth keyboard, it includes more functionality through the media keys and folds up into a smaller package. For these reasons, I’d definitely recommend it over a smaller keyboard if you like to write longer form articles, texts or emails while you’re on the go.
For more information, check out the Freedom i-Connex 2 product page. The Freedom i-Connex 2 is available for pre-order.
Thanks for reading. If you’ve got any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.