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Microsoft’s mobile keyboard: our favourite accessory launched this week

It may not be shiny and sexy, but Microsoft’s new foldable multi-platform keyboard is going to be amazingly useful for any business types who like to travel light, connecting to almost any phone or tablet.

Typing on a phone or tablet’s virtual keyboard can be a seroiously hit-and-miss experience, usually involving a shedload of auto-correcting and the occasional embarrassing typo that infiltrates your emails (‘give it your best shit’ being a memorable recent example that gave me nightmares). However, many Bluetooth keyboards can be just as woeful, boasting features such as cramped keys and pesky connection issues.

Microsoft’s spangly new keyboard will hopefully fix that. The fold-up design means that it doesn’t take much space in your bag (although it’s a little too large for most pockets sadly), but when you open it up it expands into a full-size board, which is pleasingly comfortable to tap on.

The keyboard can connect to two different devices simultaneously, for instance your phone and your tablet. All you need to do to switch between them is tap a button in the top left corner. And if you squint at the top right corner you’ll notice the iOS, Android and Windows Phone logos all sat there proudly, advertising that Microsoft’s keyboard is compatible with the lot of them.

The one limitation is that you’ll still need to prop up your tablet or phone to comfortably use the keyboard, which means it’s not going to help if you’re stuck on a bus or somewhere without a flat surface to rest on. We’ll have a proper play with Microsoft’s accessory soon – there’s no confirmed release date or price for the UK, but we’re expecting it to hit in the next month or so.

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