Ultra-thin and portable, good feel, multi-platform compatible and changeable keys--Keychron K3 Pro low-axis keyboard experience

Foreword:

I have changed several mechanical keyboards, but due to work needs, I often need to go out and carry a notebook to work. I think everyone knows the feel of the laptop keyboard. It’s not a big problem if you use it for a short time. After a long time, it feels like practicing “Diamond Finger” against a steel plate. Even when I go out to work, I am used to carrying a mechanical keyboard. It must be as light as possible when going out. I chose a Keychron K3 Pro without affecting the feel and keeping it thin and light. It belongs to a low-axis keyboard. Next, through my experience for a period of time, I will talk about the experience of using this keyboard and which groups it is suitable for.

No.1 About Keychron

The first time I knew about Keychron was on YouTube. The company was established in 2017. Before that, it mainly expanded its market overseas, and it became popular after being recommended by a large number of YouTube bloggers. The domestic version is the Beijing-made K series, which is much higher than overseas in terms of cost performance. Domestic users may not have much contact with them, but their products are indeed very popular overseas.

No.2 Packaging accessories

The packaging box is mainly black and white, which looks a bit hardcore and also a bit business. The entire packaging introduction is in English. It seems that the packaging of the international version has not been re-translated in China.

Let's take a look at what the keyboard and accessories have. Detailed instructions and quick-start cards are not displayed. In addition to the keyboard, there are key pullers, data cables, and five Windows replacement keycaps (for those who do not use Apple devices, they can be replaced by themselves).

No.3 keyboard design

The color matching adopts three colors of gray, black and red, among which [ESC] and [Enter key] are embellished with red, giving people the feeling that there is some vitality in the calmness. Overall, this color scheme is quite versatile. The only downside is that such a hard-core color scheme may not be so acceptable to the female group.

The first feeling when taking out the keyboard is that it is light and thin. Compared with the membrane keyboard used before, it is not thick. Its thickness is about 3mm. Compared with the ordinary mechanical keyboard I use now, you can see how thin it is. At the thickest point, it stands slightly higher than a dime.

Regarding the size, the K3 Pro has a 75% layout, and the entire keyboard arrangement is very compact. Even though it is small in size, its functionality has been preserved to the greatest extent, with as many as 84 buttons. What is commendable is that the size of the arrow keys has not shrunk, making it more comfortable to operate. The entire keyboard fits the notebook, and it is just stuck on both sides of the notebook keyboard, which is perfect when typing.

The entire shell of the K3 Pro uses an anodized aluminum frame, which can take into account the texture of the keyboard while ensuring that the weight of the body is not increased.

This keyboard is a dual-mode design that supports wired and Bluetooth, and the two modes support up to 4 devices connected at the same time. The system supports Windows, Android and Mac, which can be switched by a switch behind the upper left corner. In the middle of the back is the Type-C interface, which is used to connect to the computer and charge.

There are 5 non-slip pads on the back of the keyboard, which is quite stable on the table and will not be easily moved. The foot support is two-stage, which can achieve 6° and 9° support, making it easier to find the angle that suits you.

No.4 Experience

Compared with traditional mechanical keyboards, low-axis mechanical keyboards have the advantages of short key travel, faster triggering, and relatively less effort. The height is moderate, and there is less pressure on the wrist when typing. Finally, after reducing the height, it can be made lighter and thinner.

There are still many styles of K3 Pro, and this one in my hand is a white light green switch. The keycap is made of LSA height and PBT two-color injection molding process. This process is very good in wear resistance and is not easy to oil.

The shaft body is produced by Jiadalong. It has been upgraded to version 2.0. The total stroke is only about 3.0mm. The green shaft has a slightly stronger rebound and a crisper sound. I think the sound of the green axis will be more immersive when playing games and typing, but considering disturbing the people, it is recommended to choose other colors.

Regarding the large key of K3 Pro, the Hong Kong version satellite shaft is used. The shaft body and the satellite shaft are kept at the same level, which can reduce the left and right shaking of the large key and also increase sufficient lubrication.

The one in my hand is white light, only one color. There are 14 lighting forms, and the keyboard is also appropriately equipped with an independent switch button to switch the lighting effect. Because the keycaps are not very transparent, I think the lighting can only be regarded as a simple embellishment.

Typing switching can switch between PC, Android and iOS instantly, with almost no delay in switching. I have to say that the compatibility of various systems is indeed very good.

In terms of battery life, such a thin and light body is stuffed with a 1550 mAh battery. It can last for 50 hours without light, and can last for about 35 hours with the light on. It takes 3 hours to fully charge.

No.5 Customization

When it comes to customization, other people's keyboards mainly refer to the replacement of keycaps and switches. Keychron's keyboard driver is also worth mentioning. The layout of the keyboard can be adjusted through the QMK/VIA software. Here you don't need to download the driver, just connect to the computer through the data cable and enter the web page settings. For example, I can set a button to shut down or sleep. The function is very powerful, and for those who like to toss, this keyboard is extremely playable.

No.6 Summary

After some experience, Keychron K3 Pro is still very helpful for my daily office. If you also need to carry your laptop and keyboard on your back, the Keychron K3 Pro weighs only about 500 grams, which will definitely not bring too much burden. At the same time, the typing feel is much better than that of the laptop’s own keyboard and membrane keyboard. .

Finally, pick some small problems, it does not support 2.4G, and the color matching is too masculine, so it will limit some audiences. I hope to enrich the multi-mode and color matching in the future.