Pros:
• Good looking aluminium shell
• Strong & durable build quality
• Long battery life
Cons:
• Keys on the keyboard feel too condensed
• Protection is limited
• Slightly pricey at £69.99
Kensington’s KeyCover is a bluetooth hard shell keyboard case for the iPad Mini that manages to merge the qualities of a protective case, portable keyboard and good looking design in to one small package.
If you happen to use the newer iPad Mini with Retina display, don’t worry, the KeyCover fits anyway although it has a tighter fit.
Design & Build Quality
Made with a good looking anodised aluminium for the outer shell, the KeyCover is also surrounded by a shiny metallic bezel that complements the iPad Mini’s sleek & refined design. Both of these design features give the case a premium look, and the anodised aluminium feels great to the touch and conveniently prevents fingerprint marks and smudging too.
Covering the interior is a soft-touch rubber that looks and feels fantastic. Although I like the glossy finish on some other keyboard cases, they attract fingerprints too easily. The KeyCover’s finish on the other hand felt nicer and had a much cleaner look!
When it came to using the KeyCover’s magnetic stand in landscape mode, it felt sturdy, firm and secure. Although it worked in portrait too, it didn’t feel quite as secure, giving the impression that it was about to topple over with the slightest knock.
In both orientations, I was a little disappointed with the KeyCover’s viewing angles, mainly because the iPad sits in a very upright position which makes it difficult to use at closer distances.
On a more positive note, Kensington include four little rubber feet on the back of the keyboard case to stop it from sliding around when in use, and I found that it works well regardless of what surface it’s on.
Protecting Your iPad
To connect the KeyCover to the iPad, you’ll need to ‘snap’ the iPad in to place – a feature I really liked because it feels like a more secure alternative to magnetic Smart Covers. Since the interior of the case is a soft-touch rubberised material it’ll cushion the process of snapping your iPad in and out to prevent any damage to the bezel & corners.
Editor’s note: if you use an iPad Mini with Retina (like I have for testing), you may need to apply some extra force to remove your iPad since it’s 0.3mm thicker than the original iPad Mini.
Although that tight fit was an initial concern of mine through fear of damaging my iPad when I had to pull it out, the case wore in over time and I’m now able to snap my iPad in and out relatively easily – all without losing the tough grip it has when snapped in to place. You just need to be careful and patient during the first few days!
Even though it was tricky and intricate at first, I wound up liking the KeyCover’s snapping functionality because its tight fit felt really secure, plus it protected more than just the iPad’s display – covering the sides and bezel too. If however you like to keep the back of your iPad protected too, you’ll definitely be needing an additional protective bag or sleeve to prevent scratching.
Keyboard
The chiclet-style keys on the KeyCover’s keyboard are very small, compact and have a nice amount of firmness to them.
When it came to the typing experience though, there weren’t many surprises given the keyboard size – it was tight, constraining and generally uncomfortable. That discomfort was mainly because of the positioning of the keys. As a touch typist, it took a small learning curve until I was able to comfortably type quickly and efficiently.
For example, the inverted comma was on the same key as the letter L, so I had to hold down the “Fn” key and “L” constantly. Also the question mark was uncomfortably placed near the space bar at the bottom of the keyboard.
In short, any touch typist will likely struggle to work as usual on this keyboard, but ultimately it’s something expected on a keyboard of this size and so it’s difficult to blame Kensington for that.
Battery
Packed with a 380 mAh battery, Kensington claims that the KeyCover can achieve 120 hours of usage and 200 days in standby. I can’t confirm those numbers but I can say that I haven’t needed to charge it yet, even after a few weeks of use.
The Bottom Line
Although at first it takes some wearing in to snap in comfortably, the KeyCover’s case functionality works really well. It manages to keep my iPad firmly in place and safe, whilst keeping the overall design really compact and comfortable to carry.
Even though the typing experience took some getting used to, it’s to be expected with a keyboard of this size so all in all, the KeyCover is a keyboard case I can definitely recommend.
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