Ever since it was announced, Keychron’s K2 has been one of the most talked-about keyboards going. The list of features leaves few questions as to why. First off, it starts at a pretty cheap $69. For that price, it can support either Mac or Windows. It has the Mac media and function keys. It can connect via Bluetooth or USB-C. You can even turn it off to save battery life, not that you would need to since it has a 4000 mAh battery. Finally, it manages to pack that battery into a compact, 75% case size. What’s not to like?
Well, upon release, users were quick to find and point out its flaws. Credit Keychron for listening to consumers and updating to version 2 quickly. Among the improvements were the overall case thickness and angle, Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and dedicated Caps Lock backlighting. Let’s take a deeper dive into everything that’s new in version 2. If you like what you see, you should consider entering our free giveaway to win your very own Keychron K2 v2 mechanical keyboard.
The main beef users had with the Keychron K2 version 1 was the overall case thickness. Such a thick keyboard left wrists in a precarious position. Some reviewers went so far as to claim it was unusable without a wrist rest. On top of that, the K2 v1 had no built-in angle to the case. It was dead flat. You could get a little angle from the flip-down feet, but of course that adds even more height to an already tall board. In a word: awkward.
With a steeper and more ergonomic angle, the Keychron K2 nails this revision with it’s second version.
In version 2, Keychron rectified this issue by shaving 10mm off the front of the case. The new, slimmed-down frame brought a sigh of relief from wrists everywhere. In addition, they added a second set of height-adjustment feet to the case to allow for two more angle options. If these were the only changes Keychron made in version 2, it would have been worth the update, but they brought some extra goodies to show that they were listening to their users.
It’s always frustrating to accidentally turn on Caps Lock. Well, in version 1 the K2 didn’t have any indicator light to tell you whether it was on or off. In version 2 Keychron decided that if they’re going to have lights, they might as well use one to inform the user of Caps Lock status. Regardless of whether you prefer white or RGB LEDs, that problem is now solved.
More annoying than Caps Lock accidents are dropped connections. The whole point of having a wireless device is that it can stay connected, you know, without wires. That said, version 2 steps up to Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. It also retains the ability to connect to up to three different Bluetooth devices, making the 5.1 robustness all the more satisfying.
A couple more nice little touches round out the Keychron K2 v2 package. They upgraded the USB-C cable to one with a stylish, braided cover. They added some tactile bumps to the selector switches on the side of the board (one switch is for wired, wireless or off; the other for Windows or Mac operation). Are they game changers? No, but they’re useful little features that add to the user experience.
Whether you’re typing or gaming, the Keychron K2 has always been one of the best compact keyboards. Version 2 is exactly that: it keeps everything that makes it great, fixes known issues, and adds value. Props to Keychron for recognizing their flaws and not settling for anything less than the best.
