It seems that rarely a day goes by without another mobile keyboard becoming available. Those of us who do a lot of writing, whether it be professionally or working with reports for work, appreciate having such a good selection to choose from.

One portable keyboard I've been waiting to give a try is the Jorno. It started as a Kickstarter campaign a few years ago and the current design is much improved over the original. It is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows. The desired OS for use is selected by a Fn-Q, W, E key combination. This makes the top row of control keys work as expected in each OS. I am happy to report that the Jorno has Home and Back keys for Android and iOS (Back is Android only).

Dimensions:

Folded -- 5.77 x 3.53 x 0.67 in (146.5 x 89.6 x 16.9 mm)

Unfolded -- 9.91 x 3.53 x 0.26 in (251.7 x 89.6 x 6.6 mm)

Weight -- 6.51 oz (184.5 g)

Battery -- 220 days standby mode; 85 hours of continuous typing

The high quality materials and solid construction are apparent as soon as you take the Jorno out of the box. The case is covered with a material that feels secure when held in the hand. The closed keyboard has metal covering all exposed surfaces. The inside is black plastic, with no parts that feel loose; it is first-rate design and materials all around.

The Jorno features a tri-fold design that powers the keyboard on and off when unfolded and folded, respectively. An LED above the 7 key illuminates when the unit is opened, indicating battery life (green = good, red = needs charging). This LED lights up blue when pairing over Bluetooth. There is another LED above the 6 key that indicates CAPS LOCK is active.

The two hinges are firm but not overly so, and are built to avoid extra space between the keys when fully open, as commonly found on other folding keyboards. The hinges do keep the unit from laying completely flat when open; it rocks very slightly as a result when typing, but not so much to impede fast typing.

The case unfolds to form a stand to support a phone or tablet. It is adjustable to fit most tablets, and with a range of viewing angles. It uses magnets to hold the stand in the desired position for typing. The stand wraps around the closed keyboard, which forms a protective case for the Jorno for transport; it closes with magnets.

Typing on the Jorno is the way it should be with any keyboard. The keys are small but with adequate spacing. They have good travel that provides decent tactile feedback for touch typists.

The Jorno keyboard is as good as other similar models I have tried. This review was written entirely on the Jorno and iPhone 6 Plus. I've stated before that the biggest iPhone can be a productive work system from time to time, and that's the case with the Jorno. I wouldn't set out to work all day with the iPhone and Jorno, but the keyboard is small enough to carry just in case a writing opportunity crops up unexpectedly.

Pros:

Quality construction

Nice typing experience

Protective case forms stand for phones, tablets

Works with iOS, Windows, Android

Cons:

Slight rocking motion when typing

Reviewer's rating: 9.5 out of 10

The Jorno keyboard is available from the company for $99.

See related: