Logitech’s new Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the Apple iPad is a wonderful idea. Part smart cover, part keyboard – this device has a lot going for it. From a design perspective, the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a good companion to the iPad. Its chicklet keys are small, but not too small for heavy usage, and users can choose between a white, black, and red model to suit their individual tastes. Our review unit was a black model, which featured a shiny black keyboard face and silver backing which matches the iPad’s aluminum back. Logitech even offers free engraving on the back of the keyboard cover for those of you wanting to personalize it.
The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, living up to part of its name, attaches to your iPad like Apple’s smart cover – via the power of magnets! It easily connects and detaches and, when in the closed position, protects your iPad’s screen from harm. The keyboard case also features the “instant on/instant off” capabilities of the previously-mentioned smart cover. Open the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover and the iPad snaps to life – close it and the iPad screen turns off. The unit is powered by an internal, rechargeable battery that seemed to last forever. I casually used the iPad and Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for three days without having to charge it up. I eventually got paranoid and plugged the keyboard cover in by way of its included mini-USB cable, just in case. Connecting the keyboard cover to the iPad was simply – just pair it as you would any Bluetooth device.
In order to use the device as recommended, you un-dock the iPad from the cover and insert it into the cover’s stand slot. Then (as you can see in the image gallery), the iPad is angled just right for typing, movie-viewing, or whatever else. The iPad stand slot has embedded magnets in it so that the tablet wont easily fall out of it if moved about. I was very impressed at how much motion the unit could withstand without losing the iPad from the keyboard cover. They keyboard itself features a number of function keys, such as copy and paste, and even multimedia keys for controlling music, etc.
If I could improve the design at all, it would be to find some way for the keyboard cover to swing around to the back of the iPad when opened allowing you to keep it connected and use the tablet in “tablet mode”. With its current design, the keyboard cover disconnects from the iPad if opened too far and that leaves you with two objects to hold instead of just one when wanting to use the iPad as a straight tablet device
Overall, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is an iPad peripheral that so closely integrates into the iPad that one begins to think Apple itself included it with purchase. The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover retails for about $100 dollars and is available now.
[easyreview title=”Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″] Our Rating Scores Explained
