Introduction
With its Pop Keys keyboard, Logitech set out to eliminate a problem we’ve all faced at one point or another: a lack of easy access to emojis. While creating an entire product line for emoji lovers may seem a bit unnecessary, there’s an argument to be made that most PC keyboards have become outdated in this respect. Our smartphones and tablets have had their own emoji keyboards for years, so isn’t it time we updated our PCs to match? Brands like Apple have incorporated emojis into their keyboards in the past (think the short-lived MacBook Pro touch bar), but few have done so with the same bright aesthetic as Logitech has with the POP Keys. If you’re tired of trawling through the emoji tabs on Gmail, Zoom and Slack, the Pop Keys might just be the one-click solution you’ve been waiting for.
Design
The keyboard combines typewriter-like switches with a modern lookThe top row of keys and emojis are customisableThere are three different colour variations
The Logitech POP Keys stands out from other Logitech keyboards thanks to its bright, eye-catching design and unique offering of emoji-flavoured customisable keys and shortcuts. It’s a small, tenkeyless keyboard with round mechanical switches that offer a retro, typewriter-like experience – but with the benefits of a modern set of function keys. Logitech has said that the target audience here is Gen Z, and the stylish curved design and colourful finish of the keyboard reflect that. The Logitech POP Keys keyboard comes in three colour variations – Daydream, Heartbreaker and Blast. Daydream consists of white and yellow keys on a mint and lavender backdrop, while Heartbreaker is adorned with four different shades of pink, and Blast offers a more neutral black, grey and yellow option. All three can be paired with the matching POP Mouse, which is similarly small and portable. However, the mouse is sold separately, meaning you’ll need to pay extra to get the matching set. I reviewed the Keys and Mouse in the colour Daydream and loved the design. I particularly like the fact that the peripherals blend in with the other colourful objects on my desk, making them feel as decorative as they are practical. I’m not sure if the keyboard would fit in well in a more rigid, professional office setting, but it’s great for home-office use or for injecting more personality into a bland-looking PC setup. The Logitech POP Keys keyboard comes with five emoji keys attached and four more in the box, although your emoji options aren’t limited to these nine expressions. The top row of function keys is customisable, too. If you look closely at the letters, you’ll see that they’re stuck onto the keys. This means there’s a risk of them wearing down with frequent, long-term use. However, it’s difficult to determine whether this would be the case during a limited reviewing period. I can only say that I’ve been using the POP Keys on and off for a number of months now and haven’t noticed any fading during my time with it. I do wish that the escape key matched the rest of the keys – instead of having a metallic purple finish – but that’s more of a personal preference than anything else. Finally, there’s a Logi Bolt USB receiver included in the box. It’s very small, so you’ll want to make sure you keep it safe when unplugged.
Performance
Ability to switch between up to three devices seamlessly Clacky, typewriter-like experience that takes some getting used to Up to three years of battery life
There are two ways to connect the POP Keys to your device – with Bluetooth 5.1 or with the Logi Bolt USB receiver. Bluetooth is compatible with a wide variety of PCs, tablets and mobile devices, whereas the receiver requires a USB port and is only compatible with Windows, macOS and ChromeOS devices. One of the most useful features available on the keyboard is Easy Switch. This feature allows you to jump between up to three devices at the push of a button. All you need to do is hold one of the three Easy Switch buttons to enter pairing mode and find the keyboard in your device’s Bluetooth settings. Once paired, you can just hit the corresponding key to move between up to three devices. I connected the keyboard to both my MacBook and my iPhone and found jumping between typing up a review and drafting a tweet almost seamless. The mechanical switches are loud and clacky, designed to evoke an old-school typewriter-like feel. They’re also deep, offering a reassuring amount of travel and making them satisfying to press. The keys are circular in shape, and their concave surfaces create a comfortable space to rest your fingertips. I did find that the small size of the keys and their spacing required quite a bit of getting used to, as I made my fair share of typos using this keyboard right out of the box. The keys are also more sensitive than they look, meaning I often slipped and hit the wrong key. Of course, this is coming from someone who is used to shallow, square laptop keys both on my personal and work laptops. So, you may have fewer issues adapting to this keyboard if you’re already familiar with deep, typewriter-like keys. Regarding the battery life, the POP Keys can last up to three years on the two AAA batteries that come pre-installed in the keyboard. For comparison, our current favourite mechanical keyboard, the Logitech MX Mechanical, which has a rechargeable battery, can last up to 10 months with the backlight off or 15 days with backlighting on.
Software and Features
The keyboard is compatible with the Logi Options+ app There are 15 custom keys, including five emojis Would like to see more keycap options
The Logitech POP Keys keyboard comes with the five emojis and the function keys in the top row pre-assigned. If you want to customise them, you’ll need to dive into the Logi Options+ app. The app is very simply laid out and offers two key features: the ability to view your Easy Switch devices and the option to assign different functions to different keys. There are 15 keys in total that you can customise, including the five emojis, although the default options on the top row are already a nice selection. They include a button to show or hide apps, screen capture, a mute button for video calls, playback and volume controls and a dictation button. I immediately found myself switching out the dictation function for a shortcut to create new browser tabs, but otherwise, I actually liked the selection out of the box. You can also set different functions for different apps. I found the options listed to be rather generic and limited in this regard, with Logi Options+ suggesting shortcuts like copy, paste, brightness up and screen capture for every app, rather than offering more tailored functions based on each specific app. In this instance, I found the Keyboard Shortcut option to be incredibly useful, as it allowed me to enter key combinations already attached to specific functions. For example, I was able to set the dictation key to follow the import media shortcut (Cmd+I) only when iMovie was open. This allowed me to access the tool with one click when using the video editing software. Of course, you can also switch up the emoji keys on the side. Logitech has included four spaces for emojis and one for access to the entire emoji library with a pop-up. I found the emoji keys to be useful, although I can’t say I reached for them nearly as often as I did for the other function keys. Perhaps this is because I reserve most of my emoji use for my phone, whereas I preferred to use the keyboard alongside my laptop. How much use you get out of the keys will likely depend on how often you actually use emojis on your device. I will say the choice of emoji keycaps struck me as more millennial than its target audience of Gen Z, with two laughing faces and no skull emoji to be found. It’s clear Logitech has opted to prioritise the most popular emojis in general, but this means that – even for a millennial like me – some of my most commonly used emojis didn’t come with a matching key. Of course, you can assign any emoji to the existing keys, but I’d love to see Logitech offer more emojis and function key options to match – even if that means selling the keycaps separately.
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The Easy Switch feature is great if you plan on using the keyboard with two or three different devices, such as your work PC, your personal laptop and your tablet. The battery life is fantastic, too. I’m also a fan of the degree of customisation the POP Keys afford, although I can’t say I found myself reaching for the emojis anywhere near often enough to justify an entire line of dedicated keys. I think I’d prefer it if Logitech had stuck to just one shortcut that opens the entire emoji library, or given users the option to buy keycaps specifically for the emojis they frequent the most. The mechanical switches are clacky and satisfying to press, but they aren’t the easiest to adjust to if you’re not used to round, typewriter-like keys. If you’re looking for pure productivity and don’t have time to correct typos, you might find the POP Keys to be a bit fiddly to use – at least at first. We also check each keyboard’s software to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
