The Perixx Periduo-801 is an iPad Mini and iPad Mini 2 case with built-in Bluetooth keyboard. It offers a stylish way to transport your device, protect the screen and provide a keyboard for typing.

The case allows the tablet to be positioned in a variety of angles suitable for typing, browsing or watching videos. It's a great accessory for people who need the protection offered by a case but also prefer a real keyboard for typing emails, messages, blogs etc.

In terms of price (£39.99/$34.99) it is positioned at the premium end of the market. Although there are cheaper cases out there this is a case for a premium product and if you plan to make maximum use of your tablet's portability it's a worth-while investment. It's always a difficult decision to take a beautiful piece of technology and wrap it in a slab of plastic so it's worth choosing a case that complements your device.

Specification

- Bluetooth 3.0 Technology (up to 10m Operating Range)
- Portable Size with 5mm Ultra-thin Design
- Silent X Type Scissor Keys
- Non-slip Rubber Feet
- Removable Keyboard with Magnetic mounting
- On/Off Switch
- Li-ion Rechargeable Battery
- microUSB charging port

The product packaging includes:

- iPad Mini case
- Bluetooth keyboard
- USB-microUSB charging cable

Dimensions

The case size is 204x147x15mm. The keyboard is size is 200x124mm where the thickness varies between 4 and 5mm.

Here are some photos I took of my case :





The case is made from high-quality black plastic. The section that holds the iPad has a brushed-metal texture and it's this that gives the case a high-quality look and feel. Given the iPad range is a premium product you don't want to carry it around in a cheap looking case. As you would expect there is a hole in the case for the iPad's camera. The case is held shut using a magnetic flap. This folds back on itself and sticks to the case which keeps it out of the way of the screen.

The keyboard attaches to the base of the case using magnets. These are firm enough the hold the keyboard in place while allowing it to be removed or re-positioned easily. One of things I like with the design is that the magnets in the keyboard and case are carefully positioned. The keyboard sort of "snaps" in to a preferred position. Equally when the case folds to provide an angled platform for the mini the magnets hold it in a few pre-set positions. As you change the angle of the case you can move the keyboard and let the magnets find the "sweet spot".

Here some more photos showing the case holding an iPad Mini :




As the keyboard is so easy to remove you could easily use it with another device. Either another iPad or any other sort of tablet. The keyboard works fine with my Google Nexus 7 tablet and Raspberry Pi via Bluetooth.

On one side of the keyboard is a power switch and on the other is the USB charging port. The product comes with a charging lead and you are free to use any USB source to charge the keyboard. I'm never far from either a microUSB phone charger or PC USB port so that works out just fine for me. As the port is on the side of the keyboard it can be charged while the case is closed.

One thing worth noting with the keyboard is the '#' symbol on the '3' key. As simple as it sounds this character is sometimes missing from keyboards which can complicate using hash-tags in social media posts. To use it you just press the "Alt/Option" and hit "3". British pound (£) and Euro symbols are also easy to obtain.

In particular here is a list of the things I liked about this product :

- The magnetic attachment points
- Overall quality
- Brushed-metal stlye texture
- microUSB charging port

If you are looking at a case and keyboard combination it is also worth remembering Perixx make standalone keyboards as well so the included keyboard comes from a good background.

The Perixx Periduo-801 is available from Amazon. Use the links below to check the latest price :

Perixx Periduo-801 (Amazon.com)

Perixx Periduo-801 (Amazon.co.uk)