Kensington KeyFolio Expert: Review

The iPad has a number of advantages over a laptop – it’s compact, lightweight and speedy, but one of its most glaring weaknesses is that typing on the touchscreen just isn’t that comfortable for extended periods of time.

With the trend towards Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) gaining momentum, many manufacturers have tried to alleviate this problem. Separate Bluetooth keyboards have been one such attempt, but have so far proved a clumsy alternative, especially if you need to pack up and get off a train at a moment’s notice.

The Kensington KeyFolio Expert is the latest effort, offering a folio and keyboard in one package, and is a far more convenient solution to the problem. It succeeds in its principle objective of increasing productivity on the go, but its price tag and slight awkwardness mean that it is one for the power user rather than the casual consumer.

Taking shortcuts

A micro-suction pad secures your iPad, iPad 2 or new iPad firmly in place to the point that it is almost impossible to dislodge. The disadvantage of this is that it’s not an easy task to separate the two, meaning it can make the tablet slightly awkward to hold in portrait mode.

Once the iPad is in place, you can adjust the angle by folding the back of the KeyFolio into a number of combinations, depending on your preference, and you can even hide the keyboard by folding it underneath the Apple tablet.  It is as much at home on your lap as it is working on your desk.

When you are finished, you simply fold the case shut, sealed by a magnet, but the fact that the keyboard touches the screen directly is slightly unnerving. Although no physical damage is caused, keeping the screen clean is nigh on impossible due to the smudges caused.

The keyboard is connected by holding down the power button for a few seconds, but this isn’t an exact science and can be frustrating if you find you have left the keyboard on while the case is closed. Battery life is touted at 80 hours of working time and 60 days on standby, and can be topped up using a mini-USB connection.

It is easy to use too and, although a little fiddly, the keys are adequately sized when compared to similar products. Shortcuts at the top allow you to adjust the brightness, volume and screen lock, while others are recognised depending on the app you are using.

The only major inconvenience is that there aren’t more of these shortcuts to render the need to switch between the keyboard and the touchscreen redundant, although this is obviously an issue with the software rather than a KeyFolio failing.

Fold away

As a keyboard solution for the iPad, the KeyFolio is excellent and makes working on the iPad for a prolonged period of time a realistic proposition. Productivity applications such as iWork are vastly improved and it is far better than having a separate keyboard. Indeed, the majority of this review was written on it.

However it increases the size of the device considerably and some users may be put off by the fact that it isn’t that straightforward to remove the iPad from the case. The Keyfolio offers little protection against smudges and although this is a common problem with many cases, including Apple’s own smart cover, it is particularly obvious here.

The KeyFolio is positioned as a premium product, with a price tag (£99.99 RRP) to match, and it is undoubtedly good at what it does. If money is no object, then it comes highly recommended, but if you are looking for a case and only half-heartedly want a keyboard, then there are cheaper options around.

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