Logitech has launched its new Flip Folio – so, how good is it? Can you really leave your laptop at home and use the Flip Folio to do all your work (and fun!) on the go?
Welcome to Capsule Considers, where we try out and review the latest products on the market and offer our honest, unbiased opinions, free from any obligation or expectation because if you’re parting with your hard-earned money based on any of our recommendations, we’re gonna make sure it’s damn well worth it. Here’s Alice’s Logitech Flip Folio Review…
I run my life (and my share of Capsule!) off my MacBook. It’s where I do the bulk of my writing, designing, emailing and filing taxes – as well as all the admin for my personal life. I used to do most of that work propped up on a stool at our kitchen bench (should I be admitting to this?!), or, sometimes, tucked up in bed. Increasingly though – especially now that my youngest is in a good daycare routine – I’m working on the go, taking my laptop with me and working in cafes between meetings.
Which is where I’ve run into a problem – I’ve discovered my trusty MacBook Pro really only likes to work when its plugged into the wall (kinda defeats the purpose of it, no?!?). But before I traded it in for a newer model and completely depleted my savings account – a solution landed in my lap…
I have a cutesy iPad Air (5th generation) which I got a couple of years ago, for on the go kind of stuff (and for travelling with the kids. It – and Lightning McQueen – saved my bacon on a very long road trip earlier this year). And now, Logitech has just come out with a Flip Folio – a keyboard case that turns iPad into an even more handy little machine.
What is it?
The Flip Folio is a protective case, with a magnetically-storable keyboard for iPad Pro and iPad Air. It’s a full-size Bluetooth keyboard with a compact design.
It’s just slightly bulkier than my standard iPad protective case by Apple – slotting into the back of the case is the very lightweight, but functional keyboard (the whole thing weighs about 200grams).
There’s nothing to plug in or charge – it connects via Bluetooth and has a built-in battery life of about two years (depending on how much you use it, I guess), after which time you’ll need to replace the coin battery inside).
I LOVE…
I have left my MacBook at home the last few days and have slipped my iPad/Flip Folio into my bag instead. For a start – wowsers it takes up so much less room (particularly seeing as I don’t have to also cart my charger around). It’s so small, it just stays in a pocket inside my bag now – I don’t have to deliberate every time I leave the house about whether I should take my whole laptop setup with me.
The thing I love most about it is that the keyboard is entirely separate. When comparing it to the Apple Keyboard Folio – I actually prefer this one.
The Apple model is definitely bulkier and the keyboard is built into the case – I found the whole thing a bit cramped, with the keyboard having to be so close to the actual iPad.
I love the flexibility of this one, in that you can place the keyboard where it feels most comfortable. It means you can also alter the orientation of your iPad – being able to use it vertically as well as horizontally – which is actually surprisingly helpful!
At first, I did miss the trackpad on the Apple version – but then, the touch screen of the iPad is right in front of you, or there are easy workarounds with the arrow buttons.
I’m not 100% about…
When I first pulled it out of its packaging, I had a moment or two of being not quite sure how the case worked, in terms of folding to create a stand for the iPad. The little pic showed some (very unusually shaped?!) hands pushing back the second half of the base, to stand up on an angle. There was a lot of resistance so I looked around for further instructions to make sure I wasn’t just about to break the whole thing within the first minute of owning it, but there wasn’t any – apart from the pic on the cover showing what it should look like (with the base bent), so I went for it. It does definitely meld back and bend eventually – but does crease quite significantly (so isn’t as pretty and flush as it is when you first get it out of the case). It’s such a minor thing though.
My other hesitation would be that while I LOVE the whole wireless element of it, I already know that I’m going to be frustrated in two years when I have to work out how to replace the battery. I figure that’s a small price to pay for the convivence of it in the interim though!
Logitech, $339.95 (13 inch iPad Pro and iPad Air models), or $299.95 (11 inch iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
