Review of Xiaomi Mi Keyboard and Mi Portable Mouse - Apple-style keyboards and mice

Chinese manufacturers are trying to increase their market presence by capturing new niches. Usually it doesn't work out very well. Until Xiaomi comes to show how it should be. The industrial giant takes the design and use from Apple and copies it for the mainstream. So it happened with the set that came to us for review. Versatility, convenience and style are perhaps the best motto for the new Xiaomi accessories.

Specifications Xiaomi Mi Keyboard (Yuemi MK01)

Type of	Compact keyboard
Appointment	Universal
Connection	Wired, USB
Body color and materials	White polycarbonate, silver aluminum
Key type	Mechanical (TTC Red)
Number of keys	87 (no extras)
Response time	1 ms
Key illumination	Six-level LED backlight
Dimensions (edit)	358 × 128 × 31.6 mm
The weight	940 g
Additionally	ARM processor (32 bit), 1 MHz

Features Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse

Type of	Compact wireless optical mouse
Appointment	For laptop, universal
Connection	Wireless: Bluetooth 4.1, 2.4GHz dongle
Body color and materials	White polycarbonate, silver aluminum
Number of keys	3 + wheel
Response time	1-5 ms
Dimensions (edit)	110.2 × 57.2 × 23.6mm
The weight	77.5 g
Additionally	Ability to connect to two devices with hot swap between them

Design: Apple for the thrifty

Accessories are sold separately, but they can be used to create a perfect set.

Both the keyboard and mouse copy the design decisions of Apple. Stylish, compact, minimalistic devices.

The accessories are made of durable white polycarbonate and metal inserts. The question of the combination of these materials has been solved in an interesting way:

Xiaomi Mi Keyboard has a metal bottom, the top panel (glossy) and keys (matte) are made of plastic.
Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse is entirely made of plastic with the exception of the keys - this is a solid plate, under which the switches are hidden.

Despite the compact (by the standards of wired desktop keyboards) longitudinal dimensions of the MK01, the thickness is striking. With the legs fully raised, the back of the keyboard rises 4 cm at the maximum point. The tilt angle is adjustable.

Xiaomi Mi Keyboard and Mi Portable Mouse

The layout is standard, with a long left Shift key and an even Enter. F-keys are rendered separately, like the control unit. The symbols are engraved. Cyrillic is missing. There is no digital block and additional keys.

The Mi Portable Mouse is made in the same vein, which is equipped with a scroll wheel and two buttons.

On the bottom, directly under the control keys, there is a sensor and a power switch. There is not a single element that could get in the way when carrying it.

The accessory is powered by two AAA batteries hidden in a compartment on the underside. We insert a screwdriver or a nail into the hole, turn it - the compartment opens.

The accessories are very nice. There are no assembly and surface defects. But in the case of the keyboard, you have to pay for the quality in weight: it is 940 g! Of course, there are no such problems with a mouse.

Ergonomics of the kit

Mechanical keyboards are well known among desperate geeks and gamers. Each key uses its own switch.

In membrane keyboards, the switches sit on a common soft pad, which is printed in one pass and does not require additional assembly operations. Therefore, mechanics are much more expensive. This design allows easy replacement of switches and keys themselves.

More tangible mechanical advantages include long key travel and unlimited simultaneous keystrokes. Plus, mechanical keyboards provide the sound and response of a real typewriter.

Classic mechanics are very expensive and cumbersome. Additional keys, brush stands, number blocks. The cost is not less than $ 50, and more often it exceeds a hundred.

Xiaomi engineers have minimized the cost and dimensions of accessories, making them compact and mobile. It is not for nothing that Mi Portable Mouse has this characteristic included in the name.

Despite this, ergonomics are not affected. Contrary to the notion of compact keyboards, the Xiaomi Mi Keyboard has high keys. The general profile is variable, concave. The space bar rises above the general level of the keys. The layout itself is classic, as in applications for blind typing.

The Xiaomi mouse lies in the hand much better than most compact (laptop) models. The buttons are soft enough, with little travel. Minimal force is required to press, and accidental actuation is excluded.

Technical features of Xiaomi Mi Keyboard (Yuemi MK01)

The basis of any mechanical keyboard is switches. Xiaomi engineers did not reinvent the wheel and equipped the MK01 with popular TTC switches. They are similar to Cherry MX Red, which are considered one of the most reliable, comfortable and quality switches on the market. A good base eliminates unnecessary noise and ensures smooth key travel.

The problem of wire length has been solved in an interesting way. Usually it is either not enough or too much. The Xiaomi MK01 is connected with a regular microUSB → USB cable. You can use the bundled wire or your own, longer one.

The keyboard can work with any computers, tablets and smartphones. No drivers required.

Xiaomi Mi keyboard: backlit keys and symbols

There are white backlit keys and engraved symbols. Six brightness levels allow effective use of the backlight both for artificial lighting and with minimal illumination from the monitor in complete darkness.

Technical features of Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse

The mouse is very simple: two buttons, a wheel button. The wheel scrolls without delay, smoothly.

The most interesting feature of the Mi Portable Mouse is the ability to work with two devices at the same time. The connection is made via Bluetooth 4.1 or Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz).

In the first case, a built-in transmitter is used. The second requires a miniature dongle to be connected to the target device. It can be hidden in a special compartment under the battery cover.

Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse: work with two devices

By the way, the compartment is not as simple as that of most analogs. The cover, when turned, activates a small sensor. If this peculiar key is pressed, the mouse can be turned on; if the cover is open, an automatic shutdown occurs.

The declared radius of action is 10 m. In real conditions, this figure is 5-7 meters. A similar situation with the promised accuracy of work. Xiaomi indicated that the optical sensor (1200 dpi) works with 95% accuracy on a regular table, frosted glass, paper and even fabric. In fact, the accuracy is excellent, but transparent and too smooth surfaces are not suitable for the manipulator.

conclusions

Mi Keyboard and Mi Mouse look killer even with a black monitor or laptop. But with white they look even better (I think you know which computers they should be purchased for). Moreover, the cost of the Xiaomi keyboard is only $ 77, the mouse is about $ 18. Significantly more profitable than using original Apple accessories.

Benefits of Xiaomi accessories:

price;
appearance;
compact size;
accuracy of work;
support for all platforms.

Disadvantages:

lack of a digital block (if necessary, it is solved by buying a dedicated one - $ 5);
keyboard volume;
lack of recoil of keyboard keys, mouse;
lack of characteristic clicks of the mouse wheel;
impractical colors and materials (aluminum is scratched, white gets dirty).

Is there an alternative? Of course have. Any choice is a compromise. Perhaps, for the first acquaintance with mechanical keyboards, it is worth saving by buying a simple Chinese Motospeed CK104 for half the price.

It is almost impossible to refuse a mechanical keyboard (Microsoft Ergonomic and similar models can be an exception). The universal mouse will also find its consumer, and it finally settled on my desk, replacing the full-sized model.

In addition, Xiaomi remains Xiaomi - the case when the compromise does not cause inconvenience.