Arion Bluetooth Mini Keyboard with Speakerphone Review

Performance

Setting up the keyboard was a super easy, it’s a humble Bluetooth device after all, so it’s simply a case of powering it on, searching for it on your compatible device, then entering the required pin to complete pairing; it’s that simple.

Using the keyboard as an input method for my phone seems like a pointless endeavor, obviously why bother holding a small keyboard when I could just use my phone. If your touchscreen is particularly limiting in any respect, this could be your saving grace, but VS my Xperia Z3 I’d rather just input directly on the phone. The same can be said for the iPad, the touch screen is very good to use for typing vs a small keyboard. However, if you’re a little tired of holding the tablet while trying to type, it can be a little more practical for writing a few emails via the Bluetooth keyboard.

What really shines, is the PC and console support. While I wouldn’t be replacing my desktop keyboard with this, ever, it’s a charm for my HTPC. Being able to keep a small keyboard next to my TV remotes that I can use for text input is most helpful. When using software such as Plex, it’s great for typing in the names of albums, or doing quick YouTube searches and it’s also a little more accessible than loading the required remote app on my smartphone.

Text input on PlayStation is great too, as I can quickly type in product names in the PlayStation store, or messages to my friends without having to deal with the cumbersome on-screen keyboard input.

The built-in microphone and speaker and a nice addition, but one that I just didn’t find practical at any time. The microphone is hypersensitive, picking up almost all ambient noise and while you get a clear voice call, the other person may be bothered by the sound of my music or game in the background; something my smartphone manages to filter out using noise cancellation and dynamic microphone sensitivity. The speakers not too bad though, so it can be handy for making a quick Skype call from your TV, console or any other compatible device if you really needed to.