T
heLogitechK780is a littledifferent
fromyouraveragekeyboard.
Designedprimarilyasanadditionto
mobile-orientateddesks,wherelaptops,
tabletsandphonesaretheorderoftheday,it
hasa slotatthebackintowhichyoucansit
yourphoneortablet.It alsooffersthree
prominentbuttonsforquicklyswitching
controlbetweenthreeseparatedevices
connectedoverBluetooth.
It’snota scenarioweoftenrequirehere,
butif youregularlyuseyourtabletforcertain
applications,andyourPCorlaptopforothers,
thenit offersa veryconvenientwaytoswitch
betweenthem.
Withtheincludedwirelessdongle
connectedtoa PCanda phoneconnected
overBluetooth,wehadtheK780upand
runninginminutes,andit wasquickandeasy
tolearnthefewbasickeyboardcommands
requiredtonavigateAndroid.Evenwhenthe
LOGITECH
K780/£65inc VAT
SUPPLIER ebuyer.comphone is locked, you can simply tap Enter to
activate it and then input your PIN – at that
point, commands such as Win-Enter can be
used to go to the Home screen and Win-Tab
will show the ‘open apps’ screen. Then, once
you get onto navigating the web browser,
replying to an email or doing some writing, the
speed of a dedicated keyboard really comes
into its own.
One immediate problem we encountered,
though, is that the 11mm slot at the back
wasn’t quite wide enough to fit our test phone
with its case on. If you were to regularly use
this keyboard with a tablet, for example, it
would be a significant inconvenience if you
had to remove the case every time. The fixed
width also means that devices with different
thicknesses will sit at different angles, with
narrower devices leaning back further. Some
degree of adjustability would alleviate both
these issues.
Meanwhile, the rest of the keyboard’s
design looks a little odd. The keys are either
circular or rounded off in some way, making
this a rather childish-looking device. However,
the keys make for easy typing. Their circular
shape, with the resultant large gaps between
keys, means it’s easy to tell keys apart, making
it much easier to touch type than on a device
such as the Matias (see p60).
That’s despite the peculiar layout too. The
cursor keys are bunched up underneath the
right Shift key, while the Home/End cluster is
incorporated into the numpad as secondary
functions. It’s a set of compromises that works
well, making for a more compact keyboard than
usual, while still allowing for an easy general
typing experience and a proper numpad.It’s a low-profile keyboard, as is the style
for wireless models, so like the other low-
profile models on test, it’s comfortable to
use without a wrist rest, if your desk surface
is soft enough. Despite its slim frame, it’s
also surprisingly heavy, so it won’t slide
around easily.
Meanwhile, the base is completely flat,
and you can’t adjust its angle. It has a large
slide-off cover on the underside, which
reveals the twin AAA battery compartment,
where there’s also a docking bay for the tiny
USB receiver. Logitech reckons those two
batteries will last you for two years, and it may
well be right, particularly with the keyboard’s
lack of backlighting.Conclusion
This keyboard’s main party trick is its ability
to hold and control phones and tablets, and
if that’s a feature that fits with the way you
work, then the K780 does it with aplomb.
It’s effortless to set up and it works well.
Combined with a great typing experience
and reasonable price, the K780 impresses,
despite its strange design.VERDICT
A surprising pleasant typing experience
and useful extra features make this a great
keyboardformobile-centricwork spaces.PHONEHOLDER
+Easymulti-
devicecontrol
+Goodtypingexperience
+Decent value
NODDYHOLDER- Odd-lookingdesign
- Slightly bunched-
upkeylayout - Phone slot potentially
too narrow
LABS TEST / KEYBOARDS
SPEC
Connection Wireless and Bluetooth
Cable N /A
Material Plastic
Switch type Scissor
Backlighting None
Extras Multi-device control, phone/tablet
holding slotDESIGN
19 / 25FEATURES
22 / 25OVERALLSCORE
80 %%
PERFORMANCE
18 / 25VALUE
21 / 25