This seems to be a good time for those in the market for wireless keyboards on a tight budget. Whereas in the past, these normally came with price tags well north of Rs 2,000 and/or with feature compromises, recent weeks have seen accessory brands come out with some very good options in this segment. In late July, Portronics came out with the Bubble 3.0 keyboard (covered by us here), and now it is the turn of Amkette to come out with an excellent option – the Optimus XL Like the Portronics Bubble 3.0, it too is a full-sized keyboard and is priced at under a thousand Rupees – Rs 999. What, however, makes it different from the Bubble 3.0 is its sheer portability.
Full-sized, yet light and portable…and with a dash of colour too
The Optimus XL is the larger of two Optimus wireless keyboards recently launched by Amkette. Unlike the base Optimus, which only has alphabet keys, it is a full-sized keyboard and comes with a dedicated number pad. However, what is remarkable is that in spite of this, the keyboard remains relatively portable. Like the Portronics Bubble 3.0, it is totally made of plastic but while the Bubble 3.0 was definitely on the hefty and bulky side (it weighed more than 800 grams), the Optimus XL is much lighter 461 grams and its 35.5 cm (slightly more than a foot) length means that it can fit more easily into backpacks than most full sized keyboards. It comes with six rows of round (what Amkette likes to call “retro pop” keys), which are reasonably well spaced out and have surprisingly good travel without being too noisy. Purists might not like the fact that there is literally no space separating the alphabet section from the number pad, but we had no problems with it.
The keyboard is powered by two AAA batteries. (Express Image)
What’s more, our black model had flashes of colour in it, with the connectivity buttons being in bright orange, and the first column of keys on either side as well as some other keys being in a very pleasant shade of grey. There is a white model too, which looks even better, but we suspect will pick up dust and stains very easily. At 23 mm, the keyboard is not too thick either, so it can actually be easily carried in one hand as well.
Packed with features, and a joy to type on
That relatively compact frame packs in a lot of functionality. Apart from the regular typing functions, the keyboard also comes with special shortcut keys to tweak volume, insert emojis, go to the home screen or desktop, invoke Co-Pilot or Gemini (depending on the device you pair it with), and so on. Amkette calls the Optimus range a 4-in-1 range because the keyboards can connect to up to four devices at one time – three over Bluetooth and one over 2.4 Ghz wireless (for which it comes with a USB dongle). The keyboard is powered by two AAA batteries, which are to be inserted in the rear of the device. There is no switch on or switch off the keyboard, which is a little odd, but the keyboard gets into power saving mode when not in use for a while.
The shortcuts are very handy. (Express Image)
We used the Amkette Optimus XL with the Xiaomi Pad 7, an Asus Expertbook as well as the iPhone 16 Pro XL and OnePlus 13, and it worked very smoothly with all of them. Typing is particularly good, as the membrane keys have very good travel and as there is space between, the chances of accidental keystrokes are minimal. The shortcuts are very handy, although you need to hit the Fn and Escape keys together to make them functional. Navigation can sometimes be a bit of a challenge as there is only one set of arrow keys, and the keys themselves are a little on the small side. However, if you are the type that likes to do a lot of typing, this keyboard is perfect. Switching between devices is super smooth, although moving to a 2.4 Ghz connection from a Bluetooth one and vice versa takes a few seconds. And battery life seems to be very impressive – we have been using the keyboard for almost a week and there has been no dip in battery life yet.
The Amkette Optimus XL does not have a space to park a tablet or a phone. (Express Image)
This is not to say that the Amkette Optimus XL is perfect. It does have its weak points. We would have liked a clear on-off switch, and well, as the keyboard has no extendable “legs,” you are limited to a single viewing angle. Also, unlike the Portronics Bubble 3.0, the Amkette Optimus XL does not have a space to park a tablet or a phone, making one rely on an external stand or covers with stands – we really feel device stands are something wireless keyboard manufacturers need to start bundling with their devices. Finally, some of the shortcuts can be a little erratic – the screenshot and calculator sometimes just did not work although they sprang back into life within a few seconds generally.
It comes with a USB dongle. (Express Image)
All said and done, the Amkette Optimus XL is perhaps the best full-sized portable keyboard that you can get for a three-figure price. It has its shortcomings but the typing experience and connectivity options it provides, along with the option to fit into most backpacks, make it a compelling option for heavy typers on a light budget!
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