Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case Review – When a whole bunch of iPad Air keyboard cases were first announced months ago, I fell in love at first sight with the Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard. I thought at that time that it was the most beautifully-made keyboard folio case out there. That still stands until today.
Most folio cases make the iPad bulky and ugly, but the QODE Ultimate complements the iPad Air’s design really well.
Design
Made from aircraft-grade aluminium, this case looks really elegant and as if it’s made specifically for the iPad Air by Apple themselves. It’s coated mostly in Black and man, it looks gorgeous; as gorgeous as the pictures you see online or here (assuming you have the Black/Space Grey iPad Air, of course).
The case, despite of the bulkiness from the keyboard, is actually pretty light itself (lighter than the iPad Air). This makes the case quite portable so you never really have to take the iPad Air out. However, if you ever find the need, it’s easy to. This is probably one of the rare folio cases where you can take the iPad easily out of the case. It’s a big plus point for me.
You can also flip the case backwards to hold the iPad Air for reading without taking it out of the case. This works great such as when you want to read news or books while doing number 2 in the toilet. This versatility makes it efficient to switch from one functionality to the next.
All ports and buttons are accessible too, so there are little reasons to ever take the iPad out of the case.
Keyboard
The keyboard is oh-so-wonderful too. It’s designed well to feel like a real keyboard (laptop’s). I love the tactile feedback of the keys and can type fast with it. I actually write the sermon’s summary every Sunday and this keyboard never fails me. I manage to type faster and dish out more words than I could before with my previous keyboard case.
The keys are well-spaced and of the right sizes. I also like the layout of the keys, except for the “:” or “;” (colon or semicolon) key. It is located next to the Spacebar, out of everything else. It took me a while to adjust to this but thankfully, you don’t type a colon or semicolon that often anyway. There are also function keys to control your device’s brightness, volume, etc.
Magnetised solution
What I love about the case is that you have different viewing angles that can easily be adjusted with the magnetised solution. The surface above the keyboard is fully magnetised with dual neodymium magnets. They securely hold the iPad in place. In fact, the magnets are actually really, really strong (though there is a guarantee that this won’t damage your iPad inside the included booklet). On my lap, the iPad does not wiggle and I feel confident to move the case around due to the sturdiness.
Opening/Closing the case will also wake the iPad up or make it go to sleep automatically.
There is no power button. It auto turns itself on when you place the iPad on the magnetised pad (for typing) – and off when you detach it. Nifty, eh? According to Belkin, the battery will last around 264 hours (active) and 4,300 hours of standby. That’s mad. Plus, with the auto turn on/off, you’ll never waste the battery for forgetting to turn the case off. Ever.
Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard iPad Air Case Review – Conclusion
There are so much to love about this folio keyboard case. Very rarely does a case complement the iPad design well. The Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard feels integrated with the iPad Air and actually enhances its aesthetic level. The keyboard is also well designed, and the keys are spaced out well. It’s easy to switch between the typing mode with the magnetised solution and you can also fold the case all the way to the back. You don’t have to worry about turning this on and off as it is done automatically in a smart way.
If you are looking for keyboard folio case for the iPad Air, I haven’t seen any other case as beautiful as this (well, perhaps the one from Zagg). The case is light, but it will still add bulkiness to your iPad Air. However, since taking it out of the case is relatively simple if you ever need to, this is a no brainer.
[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B00EOE4G4E”]
Disclosure: Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard iPad Air Case Review sample was sponsored by MobileZap. All opinions are 100% mine. Go to their website if you want to make a purchase and make sure to check the other iPad Air Cases.
