iPad is a great device, but its cramped on-screen keyboard leaves a lot to be desired. It works fine for shorter typing excursions (e-mails for instance, short product reviews like this one, etc.), but it’s not meant to be used for extended typing sessions. Nonetheless, because of its great portability I like to take my iPad with me for short “working breaks” from my home and office, and in such situations having a convenient and easily portable physical keyboard comes in really handy. For my purposes and for my tastes, this ultra thin Belkin QODE keyboard/case comes as close to an ideal one as it’s probably physically possible.

That is one of my favorite tablet keyboard/cover combos. It’s simple, lightweight, and very innovative in terms of its design. It also allows me to simply and quickly detach my iPad Mini and use it as a tablet – which is for the most part my preferred way of using it anyways. It also provides a lot of protection for the iPad in the cover mode, and the keyboard action is one of the better ones of all the tablet keyboards that I tested.

The keyboard itself is a typical reduced tablet keyboard, with many of the standard keys relegated to the secondary function places. The keyboard is, naturally, more cramped than the standard keyboard, but not to the point that it becomes impossibly hard to use. The key action is very smooth and responsive to touch. However, it is not quite as good as what I am used to from Apple’s keyboards. It was extremely easy to pair up the keyboard with my iPad. Bluetooth devices in general have come a long way since the early buggy days, at least when it comes to major manufacturers.

One battery charge will supposedly last you for up to half a year with regular use. I have not tested it for that long, but in my experience most rechargeable keyboards can retain charge for several months at least.

The keyboard allows you to prop up your iPad mini while typing. The propped up iPad mini was securely lodged, although I would not want to use this keyboard away from a flat surface (a desk for instance) on which to rest it. You are also unable to adjust the viewing angle while typing, which is another minor inconvenience.

I think that for the kind of value it offers this case is overpriced. It should really be in the $50 to $70 price category.

One of my minor annoyances is that I would prefer that the keyboard be charged via a thunderbolt cable instead of the micro USB. More options for the viewing angles would also come in handy. However, neither one of these annoyances is a deal breaker for me. In terms of design and functionality this is my favorite iPad keyboard/case. It’s slim, features a great keyboard, and it allows me to easily slip my iPad in and take it out. However, if you care about giving your iPad an extra amount of protection than you might be better off with some more enclosed cases, such as the Belkin’s Ultimate line of iPad cases.