Although they’re a very popular accessory for many tablet and phone users, even the best keyboard cases often end up languishing on the shelf at home — they’re just not portable enough. Enter Jorno, the smallest lil Bluetooth keyboard you ever did see.
Jorno is just 6.8mm thick, and it folds up into a rectangle that’s less than 6 by 4 inches all told. It’s easy to fold up and pack away at any moment, thanks to the springy hinges, but the keyboard stays in place when you need it to. Jorno weighs less than 7 ounces, and even comes with its own stand, which doubles as its carrying case. It’s made of a nice, faux leather with a microfiber lining inside. When you’re using it as a stand for your phone, it snaps into place securely with a magnet.
The keyboard itself is a little cramped, especially when it comes to special keys, but the letter keys are a decent size. In fact, I typed this entire article using the Jorno keyboard paired with my iPhone 6 Plus. There’s one large Shift key, but the other is crunched, as is the Tab key. The Delete key floats way up top of the keyboard, which was my biggest pet peeve. I kept hitting the backward slash key instead of the delete key at first.
However, as with any new keyboard, I got used to the layout after awhile. Otherwise, the keys were responsive and made a pleasant little click-clacking noise that I think that typewriter enthusiast Tom Hanks might like.
Jorno syncs up with a number of phones and tablets over Bluetooth 3.0, including iOS, Android, Windows, and other devices. It’s really easy to pair, thanks to a few keyboard commands. To pair it, you simply open the keyboard, press Fn and C at the same time, and then select the Jorno keyboard in your Bluetooth settings on your phone or tablet. Once it’s paired, all you have to do is press Fn and Q,W, or E simultaneously to enable the keyboard, depending on which OS your device runs. You press the Q for Android, W for Windows, and E for iOS.
The keyboard goes to sleep after two minutes if you don’t use it, and as soon as you fold it up, it starts to snooze. There are a pair of LEDs on the top of the keyboard, which tell you its battery status. Jorno should last through 82 hours of continuous typing, or 220 days in standby mode. It’s rechargeable via a Micro USB port, and the LED will warn you when it needs a top off.
The Jorno keyboard is a real find, and it’s an excellent idea for anyone who needs to work on the go, but doesn’t want to have to deal with carrying around a laptop. It’s a superb buy for students, especially those who take notes on their phones and tablets. Of all the accessories that land on our desks at DT, the Jorno keyboard was easily among our favorites. It’s practical, works without a hitch, and is remarkably portable — What more could you ask of a keyboard?
The Jorno costs $100, which is pretty standard for good Bluetooth keyboards. However, if you use the code JORNO at checkout, you can get it for $80. We’re not sure how long the code will last, though, so you might want to act fast.
