Jalen Sigh Tech

Verdict

The Satechi Slim X3 is a solid wireless keyboard for macOS, offering stylish looks, a snappy typing feel and convenient wireless connectivity over Bluetooth. It doesn’t have any software or particularly long battery life, though, and tere are better Mac-compatible keyboards available for a similar price.

Introduction

The Satechi Slim X3 aims to offer a more affordable alternative to Apple’s longstanding Magic Keyboard for Mac devices while adding a few more useful bells and whistles to proceedings.

It’s another option in an increasingly neglected area of the market as macOS users have been shepherded towards Apple’s own peripherals for a long time. A £81.99/$89.99 price isn’t unreasonable for a Mac-specific peripheral against Apple’s own Magic Keyboard and dual-OS options such as the original Logitech MX Keys.

Whether it’s the definitive option for Mac users remains to be seen, though, as does whether it’s one of the best wireless keyboards we’ve tested. I’ve been using it for the last few weeks with my MacBook Pro to find out.

Design

• Almost identical to Apple’s own Magic Keyboard
• Convenient layout and functions
• Modern and sturdy frame

The Slim X3 borrows a lot of its design cues from Apple’s own Magic Keyboard with a similar two-tone space grey and black colour scheme and metal frame. It’s also similarly slim and sits almost flat on a desk with a small slant to it. Squint, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find much of a difference between them.

With this in mind, the dimensions of the Slim X3 almost match Apple’s own Magic Keyboard, although at 440g, it is ever-so slightly heavier.

Nonetheless, the svelte design and lightweight construction means this is a keyboard that can be slung into a bag, even if it is a little longer than more typically portable-sized Bluetooth keyboards such as the Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s. Despite the light weight, the full size chassis offers no deck flex, even under a lot of pressure.

You get a convenient full-size layout here, the same as a Magic Keyboard, with a nice assortment of function keys and secondary functions which match up with other Mac keyboards, as well as a nav cluster, arrow keys and number pad. The top right corner also houses LEDs for battery status and for when the Fn key is locked, as well as individual buttons for the four Bluetooth channels you can connect the Slim X3 to.

The function row of keys is identical to that found on one of Apple’s own macOS keyboards, with everything from media controls to brightness and changing the keyboard’s backlighting level. The nav cluster also matches up with that of a Magic Keyboard to offer as much of a familiar experience as possible.

While I like the slim stature and the convenience of a full-size layout, I’m less enthusiastic about the font used for the Slim X3’s keycaps. The blockier capitals used on the main alphanumeric legends cheapen the keyboard’s overall looks, given competing options from Apple and Logitech use a more modern, rounded font. The keycaps themselves have a flat profile which mimics that of a MacBook keyboard, making it an easy transition if you’re used to using a laptop keyboard day in and day out.

The noticeably flat profile can be raised with two larger rubberised pads bundled in the Slim X3’s box, while the interface around the back is also kept simple. There is a rather small on/off switch on the right side, while in the middle is a USB-C port for charging.

Performance

• Comfortable, scissor-actuated keys
• Convenient Bluetooth connectivity
• Battery life is disappointing

In keeping with Apple’s own Magic Keyboard, and indeed within the majority of peripherals for Apple products, the Satechi Slim X3 sticks with a tried-and-tested scissor actuation which is comfortable to use with an especially short travel and more positive actuation than more typical rubber dome keyboards.

Those who use laptops daily will feel at home with the scissor-actuated membrane keys on offer here, and while I would normally prefer mechanical switches, the Slim X3’s are more than suited for banging out lots of words in one go.

Compared to the naturally higher default rake of the likes of the Logitech MX Keys S though, the flatter profile of the Slim X3 did take some getting used to, and it’s almost too flat to be comfortable for extended periods. I’m thankful therefore that Satechi added the extra rubberised pads in the box, which raise it up to a much more comfortable angle.

Connectivity over Bluetooth on up to four devices is also suitably excellent, especially with its dedicated buttons in the top corner for switching between channels. Pairing is a doddle too, with it involving holding down the relevant Bluetooth button until it flashes quickly so the keyboard enters pairing mode.

Then it should show up in the Bluetooth devices list of what you’re connecting the keyboard to, and work without an issue. The Slim X3 worked with my 2021 MacBook Pro and an older 2015 MacBook Air without an issue, and Satechi rates it work on Macs as early as 2012, if you’re still using one that old.

The lack of a 2.4GHz connection option is a bit of a shame, as options from elsewhere including the MX Keys S and Logitech Signature Slim K950 also offer it, although in those instances, it comes from a USB-A receiver. For the majority of Macs, that would need to be changed to a USB-C receiver or work via an adapter, but it would still have been pleasant to see it included on the Slim X3.

The 144 hours of endurance without any form of backlighting is on the lower side, but it means you can use the Slim X3 for a good few weeks before even thinking about charging it.

However, whack the white backlight up to full whack, and it drops the runtime down to a paltry 10 hours. This is particularly weak, considering Logitech’s MX Keys and MX Keys will last for 10 days with backlighting up all the way. In my testing, the Slim X3 lasted for its 10 hours, and when it reached 15 percent charge, it turned the lighting off automatically to conserve some power. That’s a useful feature, but the fact it only lasts for 10 hours with lighting at full blast is disappointing.

Software and Lighting

• White backlighting is inconsistent across the keyboard
• No software to speak of

As with the smaller mechanical Slim XM1, this Slim X3 can only deliver on one side of the promise with regard to software and lighting. It comes with 10 different levels of a white backlight under its keys.

At its brightest level, it’s most noticeable across the function row and number pad, but is a little muted elsewhere, limiting its overall efficacy. Of course, with less light at lower levels, it isn’t as useful as the much brighter and more consistent on Logitech’s comparable options. The backlighting also goes off after quite a short period when the keyboard isn’t in use, which is useful.

There also isn’t any additional software with the Slim X3, which means it isn’t the best if you’re someone who likes to fiddle with key mapping and functions. Likewise, the competition also comes with software, so it is disappointing that Satechi’s option doesn’t come with any. On the plus side, it is at least plug and play over Bluetooth or the USB-C wired connection.

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