REVIEW – A tiny TFT screen and rotating knob on a mechanical keyboard? Yes please!
What is it?
The Ajazz AK820PRO mechanical keyboard can connect up to three different computers (Windows, Mac, Android), and supports countless number of light effects and color combinations, all in about 75% size of a traditional keyboard. This model is considered TKL, or ‘tenkeyless’, meaning it does not have the number pad to the right of the keys as in full-size mechanical keyboards. The knob is used to increase/decrease the volume of your computer as well as change the configuration of some of the settings through the TFT screen. The TFT screen displays the date, time, battery level, operating system, and connection number.
What’s in the box?
- Ajazz AK820Pro Mechanical Keyboard
- USB-C Cable
- Keycap puller
- User manual
Product specs
- Brand: AJAZZ
- Model: AJAZZ AK820PRO
- Transmission method: USB wired + 2.4G wireless + 5.1 Bluetooth
- Battery capacity: 4000mAh
- Shell material: ABS injection molding
- Keycap material: OEM height PBT material
- Lighting: RGB, 20 groups of lighting effects
- Key layout: 81 keys + metal volume knob
- Supportsystem: Windows Vista/7/8/10/11, MAC, Android
Design and features
I’ve been using mechanical keyboards for a little over three years. I’ve owned a few Keychron keyboards (K2 and K3), and almost all of the Logitech versions, including the MX Mechanical Mini. What drew me to this keyboard was the rotating knob and tiny TFT screen. When lifting the Ajazz AK820PRO keyboard out of the box, it was hefty and I could feel the quality of materials and construction. There was no flex in the chases and none of the keys were loose.
The first thing I did was press the keys, and they felt and sounded great! There wasn’t any wobble to the key presses, and there was a very satisfying ‘thonk’ to the switches. For reference, my Keychron K2 keyboard has Gateron brown low-profile optical switches, and while it sounds good, it does have a higher-pitched sound. In my opinion, the Ajazz AK820PRO keyboard sounds better than the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini with ‘tactile quiet switches’.
I also like the keycaps. the PBT material resists that oily shine, at least on these off white keys with black, bold letters. The backlighting doesn’t shine through each key like the Keychron or the Logitech, but instead lights up behind each entire key. The lighting was powerful enough to provide more than enough lighting. This keyboard has configurable lighting effects and colors. To select different effects and color schemes, you use the knob to move through the different options that are displayed on the TFT screen. There are 19 different lighting effects and 9 different colors including RGB.
Scrolling through the setup options, you can also choose the keyboard brightness level, speed, computer volume, and language (English/Chinese). The keyboard I received was set for Chinese and thankfully I was able to decipher the icon to change the language. I did have to email customer support to determine how to change the date and time as the manual did not indicate how to do this.
It was a little frustrating at first setting up the Ajazz AK820PRO keyboard. The other keyboards were more plug-and-play where common toggles and settings were labeled on the keyboard. I found myself going back to the owner’s manual many times just to find the keystrokes needed to perform certain actions. Although there is a toggle switch to choose which operating system to connect to (Windows, Mac, Android), the keys are labeled for Windows. For example, on the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini, the Alt key is also labeled as the Command key. This is very helpful when using a keyboard on multiple operating systems. The Keychron K2 goes one step further and provides Mac keycaps to replace the Windows-labeled keycaps.
But once I was able to get it dialed into my preferences, I enjoyed using this keyboard a lot. I prefer the typing feel and sound despite the small inconveniences. As someone who types on a keyboard for many hours a day, the feel and sound go a long way to making typing more enjoyable.
Setup
The Ajazz AK820PRO comes partially charged, more than enough to get started. On the bottom of the keyboard, you will need to slide the toggle switch to either ‘Win’ or ‘Mac’ based on your preference. Then you will need to elect either ‘BT’ (Bluetooth) or USB 2.4G (using the included USB dongle) by sliding the toggle switch to the appropriate side. Or you can connect the keyboard to your computer with the included USB-C cable.
I use Bluetooth as I have three different computers that I connect to, so I pressed the key combination of FN+Q for three seconds to put the Ajazz AK820PRO keyboard in pairing mode. I clicked the ‘connect’ option on my computers and everything was all set!
To connect to a second computer via Bluetooth, press FN+W, and the third, FN+E. At first, I thought I would need to make a cheat sheet to help me remember all these different combinations, but I realized that the ‘Q’, ‘W’, and ‘E’ are the first three letters in the top row and made sense for them to be for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd connections.
Performance
The Ajazz AK820PRO keyboard paired quickly and I didn’t experience typing delays through Bluetooth or the USB 2.4gHz connection. The only time I noticed a lag was when my computer’s screen saver kicked on after 30 minutes. I had to press any key on the keyboard two or three times before I was able to type in my password. My Logitech MX Mechanical keyboard does not have a delay, but the Keychron K3 is even slower to wake than the Ajazz AK820PRO.
What I like
- Sounds great – more of a deeper ‘thonk’
- Key sensitivity is strong enough not to register my finger resting on the keys, but not so hard as to hammer down my keystrokes
- Can connect via Bluetooth to 3 devices
- Also includes 2.4 gHz USB dongle as a connection option for lower latency
- The knob is great for volume adjustments and is a unique way to navigate the tiny LCD screen
- Speaking of the TFT screen, it’s nice to have the date, time, battery level, and connection type displayed as well as to change the lighting effects
What I’d change
- The user manual is very basic and hard to understand
- Although there is a toggle switch to choose between Windows and Mac, the keyboard layout and keys are for Windows
- Needed to email support to determine how to change the date and time on the keyboard
Final thoughts
Overall, I like the Ajazz AK820PRO mechanical keyboard. The enjoyment I get from using the keyboard every day, along with the added functionality of the volume knob and TFT screen outweigh the issues I encountered. Sure, the layout isn’t optimized for Mac users and the settings are a little cumbersome, but the feel of the switches and the sound of the keystrokes makes this keyboard great to use. And for this price, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anything that is built this well and has these features.
Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Mechlands
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Mechlands.
