A new Samsung device usually means a series of reviews covering the official cases here at Gadgetnutz. In this review we’ll start things of with the QWERTY keyboard cover for the Galaxy S7 Edge.
The QWERTY keyboard cover
The QWERTY Keyboard cover consists of two parts: a back cover, similar to the clear cover and the keyboard attachment. Take the Clear Cover case, replace the see-through part with a black textured material and replace the silver parts with a matte Black finish and you have base of the QWERTY keyboard cover.
Unlike the clear cover case, the S7’s upper metal sides remain exposed. Like the Clear Cover, this case also covers the two top corners, but only a part of the bottom corners is protected. The reason is simple: the case relies on the keyboard attachment to protect the bottom corners. But what if you decide to remove the keyboard attachment and just want to use the back cover? Because the sides and the bottom rounded corners remain exposed, you’ll be less likely to do so, simply because it doesn’t offer the same level of protection. Samsung should have used the Clear Cover as a base, protecting all edges and all four corners. This would have made case ideal for use with or with the keyboard attachment. In fact, I see absolutely no reason why this couldn’t be done.
The textured back feel great and gives the phone a high-end understated look, similar to those all-black matte finishes you find nowadays on high-end cars.
The keyboard itself is U-shaped and attaches to the rest of the cover by clamping to the extensions of the back cover. It’s extremely thin and has just one moving part on the back part that comes in contact with the screeen. I expected an array of moving parts that push against the screen, but I was surprised to find that the back of the keyboard is completely smooth, save for the mechanism behind the home button. The home on the keyboard actually has a rubber tip that pushes against home screen button. While the other keys have moving parts and can be pushed in, they rely on a capacitive mechanism to send signals to the screen. The end result is a fast and smooth key response without any noticeable lag.
They keyboard is mostly black with White letters and cool Yellow accents. Most people I asked simply didn’t like the look of the keyboard cover, commenting on how it took away from the S7 Edge’s design. In fact I never got a single comment that actually liked the look. I personally liked the look, giving the S7 a professional, almost nerdy chic look. I’m definitely a small group that likes the look of the QWERTY keyboard.
Using the keyboard has some downsides. First of you can’t use the fingerprint scanner, leaving password, pin or pattern as the only options. Secondly you lose a great part of the screen and thirdly because it presses down on the screen, it can leave dents on your screen protector. I also didn’t find myself typing any faster than the regular touchscreen.
The phone somehow automatically recognizes the keyboard and automatically adjust the screen accordingly. When you first attach the keyboard the phone will even display a small guide on how to use the keyboard, which I found quite handy. But if you accidently removed this, there was no way to manually show this onscreen guide.
In the end the QWERTY keyboard isn’t about typing faster as most people have gotten accustomed to using the a touchscreen keyboard. The keyboard mostly makes a statement, giving your device a professional, retro look. Most people I showed it to simply didn’t like and preferred the S7 Edge without it. This case is for those rare few that still need a a physical and those that want to make a statement with their device and want to change how it looks. It gets a 7 out 10.
Pros
Physical keys
Unique, professional look
Fast, no-lag response
Onscreen guide
Phone automatically adjusts screen
Beautiful textured back
Cons
Fingerprint scanner cannot be used
Most people don’t like the design
Not necessarily faster than a touchscreen keyboard
Leaves the sides exposed
Can damage/dent the screenprotector