The Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case offers excellent magnetic latches and a solid keyboard, but is marred by odd key placement.
Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air: On the plus side
iPad keyboard cases are proliferating at a rapid rate. It makes me wonder if we’re not heading for an Atari/ET style moment, where more keyboard cases are made than actual iPads, and if so, I’d like to volunteer to dig them out of landfill sometime in 2044.
That’s in the future, however.
Right now, Belkin’s updated iPad keyboard folio offering is the Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air. No, I have no idea what a QODE is.
I do know that the Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air is a nicely stylish keyboard case. One of my key criticisms of last year’s Ultimate Keyboard Case was that while it tried to ape the aluminium style of a Macbook, after only a short period of use it scratched easily and looked shabby. The soft and dark casing around the Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air is a lot better in this respect. I’ve been bumping one around in a bag for a few weeks now with nary a problem in this regard.
Like any keyboard case, you’re adding weight to the iPad Air simply by slipping it into place. That being said, the Qode is no heavier than most but benefits from a three stage magnetic latch that gives it a variety of locking positions, depending on the angle of tilt you prefer. The magnets latch on with very solid force and switch the Qode keyboard on when they do so, meaning that it’s a keyboard that sips gently at its power usage.
Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air: On the minus side
The essential value in buying a keyboard case is in adding a physical input for an iPad device. Apple’s onscreen keyboard is solidly responsive, so it’s fair to presume that anyone buying a keyboard case needs the faster response of an actual physical keyboard.
This is where the Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air struggles, and not just a little bit. The chiclet style keys are fair but not great — I still have a strong preference for the larger and flatter keys used in Logitech’s keyboards, for what it’s worth — but Belkin’s decision to muck around with the standard QWERTY layout is inexcusable if you’re a proficient typist.
Most notably, the colon/semicolon key, which would sit on the right of the “L” key on any standard keyboard, but instead has been shuffled down to the side of the spacebar. This means that every time I need a colon or semicolon, I’m going to type an apostrophe, and every time I want an apostrophe I’m going to hit the enter key.
Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air: Pricing
The Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air has an RRP of $169.95.
Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air: Fat Duck Verdict
The Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air is a solid improvement on the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard case, but it’s still hampered by issues with the keyboard layout. It’s a case of coming very close to being great, but falling just short, especially given its asking price.