 |
| A case with no name. |
This early attempt at an iPhone 5 slider keyboard works to
overcome the poor, arrowless keyboard that Apple came up with, and for under
$20.
Introducing the "Made for iPhone 5 Ultra-thin Slide-out
Backlight Keyboard" case (that's as close to a brand name as it has).
I found this unnamed case on Amazon.com (ASIN: B009QX4PL2) for just
$16.40, a price that seemed worth the risk compared with more-expensive
alternatives that received bad reviews.*
A very similar model (possibly an upgrade or
improved version) has turned up since on Amazon.com from a company called
Shenit—that one listed at $21.13.*
The unnamed version works reasonably well, save
for a few serious flaws. Let's have a look.
 |
| The Unnamed case w/phone. |
First, the keyboard:
The keyboard offers fifty keys in four rows (versus
the iPhone virtual keyboard’s 33 keys). The added number makes it possible to feature
four arrow keys for navigating documents (as opposed to stopping your work and
trying to press just the exact millimeter
on the screen to mark a place to make changes).
In addition to arrow keys, the keyboard has, very
importantly, the comma, period, apostrophe, and semicolon as main keys (and not
function keys), meaning these marks can be typed with a single click.
And in addition to Shift and Alt is an Apple Command
key, which allows for formatting and other shortcuts in certain apps.
A capital flaw
But here is one serious flaw in this
product. On most mobile keyboards, to type a cap you hit the shift key,
then the letter—separately.
But on the Unnamed keyboard, you have to hold the
shift key down while typing the
letter, as you do on a computer keyboard (and typewriter). The same is
the case for function keys, which include numbers.
That makes for an uncomfortable stretch of the
thumbs if you're trying to type, say, a simple four-digit year. Phone numbers
are hell. This could very well be the flaw that sent this product to market
with no name.
 |
| The Motorola 2 Global came with an improved keyboard. |
Action
The typing experience on this keyboard is unimpressive.
You have to push the keys down pretty far and that makes for slower typing. It
is definitely a step down from the built-in slider keyboard on a Motorola Droid
2 Global.
The case
The rubberized case snaps on easily and appears
to offer protection (though not to the screen itself).
 |
| The Unnamed case w/out phone. |
It slides open with a nifty snapping sound,
making it useful as a percussion instrument and already more fun than most
smart phone cases.
The Bluetooth synched easily and hasn't been a
problem yet, and the battery life so far has been impressive (this after
several weeks).
Other features
The keyboard offers some useful features such as
the ability to brighten and dim the phone directly, as well as change songs.
And very much needed for its dark-blue symbols is
a back light (that will also allow you to text under the covers after bedtime).
Other reviews have called the case bulky and
heavy. But a slider keyboard is going to be bulky, and in terms of balancing
the phone and case in your hands, the keyboard could if anything be a bit
heavier.
I give this product three stars out of five—at least one fewer
because of the difficult caps and function typing.
Still, typing on this keyboard is a definite step up above using
the virtual one on the iPhone. And at $16 ...
Links:
* The linked products were
available on Feb. 27, 2013.
By John Sailors
(C) 2013 by Story Crest Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment