This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.
Disclosure: the manufacturer provided this keyboard case for review.
Quick take
The Yadkbo keyboard case adds a physical keyboard and a trackpad to an 11-inch iPad Air for roughly a tenth of what Apple’s own keyboard costs. If you type for hours every day, it is not the right tool. But if you only occasionally want a keyboard for replying to emails or writing a simple document, I think this is all you need.
What I tested
- Yadkbo keyboard case with trackpad, Japanese (JIS) layout version, on an 11-inch iPad Air (M4): list price around ¥7,000 on Amazon Japan at the time of recording
- Pairing over Bluetooth, trackpad gestures and typing
- Weighed the iPad on its own and with the case
What I found
- My first impression out of the box was that it is quite chunky. The back is one big stand that rotates, so you can stand the iPad in portrait or landscape. With the stand out, it is fairly stable.
- The iPad Air fits snugly and the Touch ID button stays accessible. There is a slot for the Apple Pencil, and because that makes the case wider, the volume buttons are extended. They actually feel nice to press. On the side are a USB-C charging port and a power switch.
- Pairing is simple: turn the keyboard on and press Fn + Z to enter pairing mode. The cursor appeared right away and the trackpad worked immediately, including three-finger gestures, so Mac users will feel at home.
- With Fn combinations you can turn the trackpad into a number pad or lock it. It can also remember two devices, so you can swap from one to the other.
- Typing is decent. The key pitch is a little narrow and it feels slightly cheap.
- The trackpad click is the main quirk. The top edge is fixed and the bottom edge floats, so clicking near the bottom feels great while the top is very hard to press. Moving the cursor with your index finger and clicking at the bottom with your thumb works well.
- Volume, brightness and other basic shortcut keys all worked, and closing the case puts the iPad to sleep.
- Weight is the trade-off. My iPad Air with a glass screen protector weighs 501.5 g; with the case it is 999 g. The case alone is 498 g, about the same as the iPad. At nearly 1 kg, it is practically a laptop.
- The keyboard does not draw power from the iPad, so you charge it separately. The listed battery life is 60 hours of use and 100 days on standby.
| Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Air | Price in Japan at the time of recording |
|---|---|
| Apple (official) | Over ¥50,000 |
| Logitech | ¥32,800 |
| Yadkbo | Around ¥7,000 list price |
Who it’s for
Typing on glass is tiring, and a physical keyboard really speeds things up, but ¥50,000 for Apple’s keyboard or ¥30,000 for Logitech’s is hard to justify if you only type once a week. For occasional use, spending a fraction of that to make your iPad more useful every day makes a lot of sense, and it is easy to slip into a bag for a café session. If you type for long hours daily, look at Apple’s or other premium options instead.
The video is in Japanese.
Limitations
The manufacturer supplied the case. I tested the Japanese (JIS) layout version, which is what the link below points to; check the listing for other layouts. I only used it with the 11-inch iPad Air (M4). Prices are Japanese prices at the time of recording.
Products
Yadkbo keyboard case with trackpad for iPad (JIS layout): on Amazon Japan
Apple 11-inch iPad Air (M4), 128 GB, Space Gray: on Amazon Japan
The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.
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This review is also available in Japanese.