I received the keyboard today, and was surprised by its small size. It's small--the size of the Nexus 7, actually. Of course, this makes sense, because it's designed to act as a screen cover as well. For the $25 I paid for it, it certainly seems to measure up against similar keyboard.
Design
The design is really slick. It looks like it was definitely made for the N7, not as an afterthought. It could easily be marketed by Google and no one would know any different. It is important to note that this keyboard/case does NOT have a magnet in it to turn the N7 on and off. But then again, it's not really designed for that kind of use. What I mean is that if you just want a quick open-use-close device, then this is not for you. In that scenario, I highly recommend a case such as the MoKo or similar. This keyboard/case is designed to be taken off, set down, connected, and used for typing. It's very simple to start using, but it also is designed for longer-term keyboard interaction, not classic "tablet" use.
Construction
This keyboard is pretty solid. If does flex somewhat, but it's expected since the overall construction is plastic. And on a flat surface, you don't notice at all. The keys are nicely spaced, and while they are small, they appear to have decent travel for their size.
While it would be fantastic if this keyboard/case was aluminum instead of plastic, I would be afraid that the extra weight of the aluminum would cause it to weigh even more--something I really don't want. Which leads me to....
Weight
This is a hefty keyboard weighing in at about 7.6 oz. on a postal scale. (On the same scale, my N7 weighed in at 11.9 oz.) So overall, expect this case to bring your N7 to well over a pound. That said, the combination is still pretty slick, and it feels solid, substantial, and sturdy.
Impressions as a keyboard
Let's not pull any punches here. This is a small keyboard, and I seriously doubt I could touch-type like I can on a full-sized keyboard. But this keyboard could be better than the myriad of on-screen keyboards. (Though the new swype features of Android 4.2 and other 3rd party onscreen keyboards have SIGNIFICANTLY improved my entry speeds.)
OK, enough rambling (I'm always at "Maximum verbosity" for you Zork fans) so here are some pictures for you....
Fits nicely in the hand.
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In the "slot" horizontally.
(Yes, this probably looks distorted, but the Nexus IS the same size as the keyboard.)
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In the slot vertically. Note that when vertical, it is somewhat top-heavy, but it is somewhat stable.
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The keyboard clips to the N7 with 3 clips and mine fits snugly.
The gray color of the keyboard is slightly off from the Nexus 7, but honestly, it's not very noticeable.
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Here's the USB connector. It lets you charge the keyboard.
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The face (actually the bottom) of the keyboard is made of silicone, and is dimpled similarly to the
N7, however the dimples are spaced slightly farther apart than on the N7. Not sure if this was due
to copyright compliance, cheaper to manufacture, or what. It's only noticeable if you look for it.
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A couple more general shots of the keyboard and its layout.
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Here's a closeup of the controls. From left to right we see the Bluetooth Connect button, Power
on/off (has a 15 minute non-activity auto-off) Bluetooth Status light, Power level/charging light.
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Here is a closeup of the Android-specific keys:
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- - - Updated - - -
Sorry the images didn't post inline. Bummer.