iBall Mystic Blue Bluetooth Keyboard - Review

S

sahil678

Broken In
iBall Mystic Blue


*i.imgur.com/ZfOpsqG.jpg
​

Bluetooth Keyboards doesn't have enough presence into the Indian market .Some major players have introduced some models in the market with hefty price tags so the question is that whats the point of buying Bluetooth keyboards.
Bluetooth keyboards have a very different market segment which is targeted towards the mobile users who are always on the move and wants desktop kind of feeling on their tablets or smart-phones. Bluetooth keyboard have gene characteristics like light weight with compact form factor so they can easily act as a portable solution for the tablets or devices with Bluetooth connectivity (HID Profile).
iBall’s first Bluetooth keyboard into the Indian market named ‘Mystic Blue’ is specifically designed for the users on the go who requires their fingers on the keys without touching the screen of their tablets or portable devices. The name ‘Mystic Blue’ is pointing towards a Blue Mystery.
So let’s find out and try to solve what’s behind this Blue Mystery.

[BREAK=Features]
Features

2.4GHz Bluetooth technology
Compact and light weight
Slim and Scissors-style structure design
Built-in Lithium rechargeable battery (charge through USB)
Unique detachable stand
83 Keys multimedia keyboard
Working distance up-to 10 meters
Bluetooth Search, Battery Low and Charging LED Indication.
Dimensions : 242(w) x 120 (l) x 8 (h) mm

[BREAK=Packaging & Bundle]

Packaging & Bundle

It’s a small sized keyboard which comes in a big box. The box says “Specifically designed for MAC, also supports Microsoft Windows and Tablet PC with limited key compatibility”. So the target is towards the ‘i’ market (U know what I mean).

*i.imgur.com/iQ2zdrV.jpg?1
*i.imgur.com/LnyBZhV.jpg?1



The package content includes:-

  • Keyboard
  • Mini-USB charging cable
  • User Manual
*i.imgur.com/VY3v2AM.jpg
[BREAK=Design & Outlook]

Design & Outlook

This keyboard is sleek (8mm) and light weight with laptop like scissor keys.

*i.imgur.com/8xVlwRv.jpg

The keyboard has ON/OFF switch along with a Mini-USB charging port.


*i.imgur.com/lcEFcaQ.jpg

On the top of the keyboard is a connect button with 3 lights indicating charging, low battery and Bluetooth connectivity mode.

*i.imgur.com/PuXN3FI.jpg

It has 2 detachable clips on the top left and right corner the functionality of which is to raise the keyboard height just like a normal keyboard.

*i.imgur.com/rrE3lok.jpg

The keyboard has many shortcuts and multimedia keys the functionality of which may vary depending upon the device and it's OS.

*i.imgur.com/0n6XBxM.jpg

[BREAK=Build Quality]
Build Quality

The keyboard feels very cheap with poor build quality.
The keys have matte finish and the quality of the keys is decent enough.
There are no rubber pads at the bottom to hold the the keyboard on a surface.

*i.imgur.com/VSfeJeT.jpg



[BREAK=Usability]
Usability

The keys feels soft and light to press. The keyboard is designed for portability and feels just like laptop keyboard with scissor keys .Don’t expect it to use as an alternate to desktop keyboard although you can connect this to your windows OS. The bottom side is that this device is quite light weight and lacks rubber pads for grip at the bottom so it doesn't sticks to one position while working and some users might find it difficult to use this keyboard.
Sometimes the keyboard lags in between and misses out certain key strokes or just forgets that something is being typed on it, maybe due to late signal reception by the device.
*i.imgur.com/0n6XBxM.jpg


  • Windows Platform
The connectivity is easy with the Windows desktop and the bad part is that many Windows based Tablets/Smartphones still don't support Bluetooth HID profile which puts this keyboard in a league for other OS support only. On Windows desktop multimedia keys works perfectly fine but the special function keys(F1-F12) does not perform properly. You can’t access many other important shortcuts of windows standard keyboard just like ctrl+alt+del. There is no Delete button on the keyboard and the Del button equals to a backspace key. The other keys which are missed out on this keyboard are Page Up/Down, Insert, Home, and End ,maybe this keyboard is targeted more towards MAC experience.



  • Android Platform
The basic purpose of the external keyboard gets solved just for typing but don’t expect much from this little one on Android as you only get access to the QWERTY and multimedia keys as there is no Home and Menu key(basic keys of Android).The special function keys doesn’t work properly.

  • MAC
The keyboard is designed keeping in mind the Apple users and in this department this keyboard does its job pretty well .All the multimedia and special function keys respond very well.

  • iOS
The QWERTY part works fine but sometimes lags in between. Besides this the special function keys and multimedia keys also works as they are designed to be performed at the stage.

[BREAK=Whether to Buy this or No?]
Overall

Overall, this keyboard is fine. I would NOT recommend buying this keyboard if you are only using it with a computer because of its lack of windows or other keys support. I would recommend this keyboard to only MAC users who wants a portable keyboard and to users who type lots of emails on their tablet. This is not practically designed for windows/Android/iOS platform as it doesn’t support many basic key/combos and have missed certain dedicated keys of these devices.

The Good: inbuilt battery, sleek and light weight, multimedia shortcuts and keys.
The Bad: poor build quality and finish, lags in between, missing rubber feet’s.
Overall: The prime focus is MAC audience but the keyboard can also be used with Android OS smart-phones/tablets or Windows computer platform.

[BREAK=Technical Specifications]
Specifications-
Battery: 300mah@3.7V Lithium
Frequency Range: 2.4 ~ 2.4835 GHz
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth Version 2.0
Bluetooth Profile: HID Version 1.1 Compliant
Effective Range: Up to 10 Meters
Working Time: About 80 Hours
Charging Time: About 4 Hours
Weight: 150g
Switch Life: 10 Million Life Cycles
Dimensions: 242 (W) x 120 (L) x 8 (H) mm
Comes along with USB charging cable


My Test Platform
Windows 7
Samsung Galaxy S2(ICS)
iOS 4+
MAC OS 10+



iBall Mystic Blue Bluetooth Keyboard Price in India : Rs. 1,990
 
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