Description
What The Rii i4 Is
The Rii i4 is a mini wireless keyboard with a built in touchpad, designed to be held in two hands and operated with thumbs rather than typed on at a desk. At 7.1 by 4.2 by 0.9 inches and 6.3 ounces it is roughly the size of a games controller, and the touchpad removes the need for a separate mouse.
The use case Rii describes is a living room: controlling a media center from a couch, browsing, entering text and playing games without juggling several remotes. It also suits a server or a workshop machine where a full keyboard would be in the way, and a presentation setup where someone needs to drive a display from across a room. This is a different product from a desk keyboard such as the Keychron Q1 or the darkFlash DF98, and it is not intended for long typing sessions.
Two Wireless Modes, Explained
The listing describes both Bluetooth 4.0 and a 2.4 GHz radio connection, and the wording around them is confusing enough to need untangling. The product title says the keyboard comes with a 2.4G USB dongle. The first feature bullet then says there is no extra clutter because Bluetooth is built in and no dongle is required.
Both statements are true of different modes. In Bluetooth mode the keyboard pairs directly with a phone, tablet or computer and the dongle is not used. In 2.4 GHz mode the dongle plugs into a USB port and the keyboard connects to it. Rii states that switching to Bluetooth mode is done with a keyboard shortcut, pressing Fn and Tab together. The practical value of having both is real: Bluetooth suits phones and tablets, while the 2.4 GHz dongle works with devices that have no Bluetooth or that cannot pair before an operating system loads, such as a set top box or a machine in a BIOS menu.
Battery And Backlight
The keyboard has a built in rechargeable battery supplied in the unit, described in the feature text as lithium ion and in the specification table as lithium polymer. Either way it charges over a cable rather than taking replaceable cells. The keys are backlit, which is the feature that makes a couch keyboard usable with the lights down, though the listing spells it Blacklit in the product title and gives no detail about backlight color, brightness levels or whether it times out.
Compatibility
Rii lists a broad compatibility set: smartphones, PCs, tablets, laptops and TV boxes, across iOS, Android, Windows and Mac. The specification table lists only Mac and Windows under operating system, which is narrower than the description, and the description also mentions streaming sticks among the supported devices.
With a device of this type, the touchpad is usually the compatibility question rather than the keyboard. Text entry works almost everywhere, while pointer support depends on the target device accepting a standard USB or Bluetooth pointing device. Anyone buying for a specific set top box or television should check that the device supports a mouse pointer at all, because a keyboard that types but cannot move a cursor is a different product from the one advertised.
One practical consideration for a device like this is where it lives. A couch keyboard is only useful if it is findable, and at 6.3 ounces the i4 is light enough to disappear between cushions. There is no mention of a wall mount, a dock or a charging cradle in the listing, so charging means finding the cable each time. Buyers planning to keep it by a television should think about where it will sit and where it will charge before it becomes another thing to hunt for.
Highlights
- Mini keyboard with an integrated touchpad.
- Bluetooth 4.0 built in.
- 2.4 GHz mode with a supplied USB dongle.
- Mode switching with a keyboard shortcut.
- Backlit keys.
- Built in rechargeable battery.
- Compact at 7.1 by 4.2 by 0.9 inches and 6.3 ounces.
- Listed for phones, tablets, PCs, laptops and TV boxes.
Things To Consider
The listing contradicts itself in several small ways. The battery is described as lithium ion in one place and lithium polymer in another. The operating system field lists only Mac and Windows while the description lists iOS and Android as well. The product title contains two spelling errors, Blacklit for backlit and Upgarded for upgraded in the color field. None of these change what the product is, but together they show a listing that has not been checked.
- Battery capacity, runtime and charging time are not published anywhere.
- Wireless range is not stated for either Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz mode.
- Key count and layout details are not given.
- Backlight color, brightness levels and timeout behavior are not described.
- Touchpad support depends on the target device accepting a pointing device.
- A thumb keyboard is not suitable for extended typing.
- The operating system field is narrower than the description.
- Losing the 2.4 GHz dongle removes that connection mode.
Who Should Buy It And Who Should Not
The i4 suits anyone who needs occasional keyboard and pointer control on a device that is not a desk computer: a media center, a television box, a home server, a projector setup or a machine in a rack. Having both Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz dongle covers almost every target device, and the backlight makes it usable in a dark room, which is exactly when a living room keyboard gets picked up. Paired with a quiet mouse such as the Logitech M220 Silent it also works as a minimal control set for a secondary machine.
It is the wrong keyboard for typing at length, for gaming that needs fast key response, and for anyone who wants a documented battery life before buying. Desk users should look at a full size board such as the Keychron K13 Pro in the keyboards category. Anyone who mainly wants a portable typing surface for a tablet should consider whether a tablet with its own keyboard cover, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, suits the task better.