The $99.99 Pop Keys, together with the $39.99 Pop Mouse and $19.99 Logitech Desk Mat, are part of Logitech’s new Studio Series of attractive computer peripherals. The keyboard seems to be an effort to combine Logitech’s usual robust functionality, such as multi-year battery life and easy cross-device interoperability, with a cutesy TikTok-friendly aesthetic and novelties like emoji-keys.
However, after using the keyboard regularly, I don’t believe Logitech has struck the proper balance. The typewriter-style keycaps on the Pop Keys may appear calm on social media. Still, they’re complex and punishing to type on, and substituting vital essential functions with five emoji shortcuts is a novelty that rapidly wears off.
The Pop Keys will be available in the United States this month, and Logitech says it will be available in Europe soon. The Pop Keys’ basic specifications aren’t wrong at all. The accompanying pair of AAA batteries provide three years of battery life, even though it is not rechargeable.
It can bind to up to three Bluetooth devices or two Bluetooth devices plus one via Logitech’s Bolt USB receiver (included in the box), and the F1 to F3 keys make switching between them a breeze. Pink, yellow, black, purple, and yellow are the three color schemes offered for the keyboard. The Pop Keys has a 75 percent keyboard layout, meaning it’s smaller than a full-size keyboard but still has a function row and arrow keys.
Although you may modify this in Logitech’s settings, by default, this function row is dedicated to a span of various functions, such as switching between paired devices and controlling playback and volume. To access the more traditional F1 – F12 buttons, press the Fn key.
Five customizable keys are located on the right side of the keyboard and are used to type various emoji symbols. From the moment you open the Pop Keys package, it’s evident what Logitech’s priorities are. Rather than including both Windows and Mac keycaps in the box, as other manufacturers have begun to do, Logitech has chosen to provide keys with additional emoji symbols on them.
The concept is that when you create the emoji shortcut buttons on the keyboard, they will match the correct symbols. While the Pop Keys are technically compatible with both Mac and Windows, the legends for Option / Windows and Command / Alt are packed onto the duplicate keys. It works alright, although it looks a little shabby, especially with a keyboard that places such a high value on aesthetics as the Pop Keys.
Instead, with the eight emoji keycaps available, the idea is to choose four of your favorite emoji for the keyboard, then use Logitech’s software to program the keys to correspond to the emoji you decided. There’s a fifth emoji key on the keyboard that works as a shortcut to the OS-level emoji selection menu. The Pop Keys from Logitech is a cute small keyboard with three-year battery life.
However, it isn’t functional enough for me to suggest it to the vast majority of people. If you like Logitech’s style and use emoji frequently enough to allocate many keys on your keyboard to them, the Pop Keys theoretically fulfills its promises. However, if you’re willing to sacrifice aesthetics, the Keychron K2 wireless keyboard is worth a look. It may not be as adorable as the original, but it is far more practical.