Google launched two keyboard variations alongside the Pixel C tablet. We have the Pixel C magnetic keyboard and the Pixel C folio keyboard. This is quite simply called the Pixel C keyboard. But for the purpose of differentiating the two variants, I'll be referring to it as the magnetic keyboard as it magnetically attaches to your Pixel C on top of the keyboard and charges wirelessly when close with the Pixel C. Whereas the folio keyboard is defined to preset angles, the magnetic keyboard we have here can display angles from 100-135 degrees. You can see some of the illustrations that describe the process right here.
To get inside the box, it's very simple. All we need to do is pull off the seal, lift open the flaps and simply slide out the keyboard. It's wrapped up in plastic in a very similar fashion as the Pixel C. It has a sort of crisscross plastic packaging that makes it a bit of a pain to unwrap but no major complaints. The keyboard itself does feature an aluminum back plate that matches the aluminum back plate of the Pixel C, which is a very good thing. It feels very cool to the touch. And we have four little pads on each quadrant to protect the aluminum surface when sitting on a flat surface.
If we take a look at what else lies in the box, we'll find a Tips and Tricks Guide for Your Pixel C that details tips and tricks. It details how to attach the keyboard, how to close the keyboard onto the tablet for charging, how to use the keyboard as a tablet and what not to do. The last paper in the box is for additional notices such as how to pair the keyboard with the tablet and all that sort of fun stuff.
So the Pixel C attaches to the keyboard with a very strong magnet like so. It's certainly an unusual method to attach a keyboard but it works surprisingly well. The magnet is strong enough to the point that the tablet won't wobble much at all when I touch it because it does feature touchscreen and that is very important. And it's balanced so that it won't fall down when at an obtuse angle.
When you're attaching the keyboard, you basically want the camera to be towards the top of the Pixel C just like a laptop. And when you're closing it, you'll want the light bard to align with the space bar so that the keyboard itself will start wirelessly charging. If you're confused as to how it charges, well it features wireless charging and will drop power from the tablet itself, how cool is that. So you really should never find yourself running out of battery juice if it's aligned the correct way.
To use the keyboard in tablet mode, you simply slide the tablet to the side and flip the tablet over. The camera will once again go on top, the space bar goes in the bottom and ta-da it's a tablet. Those are the main ways to use this keyboard. As for how the keyboard functions, it functions surprisingly well. For a tablet with a 10.2-inch display, the keys aren't too cramped. There's enough room for me to comfortably type and best of all, there's a fair amount of travel more so than something like the Type Cover or butterfly keys on the MacBook. My only complaint is that there are not very many function keys. There's one dedicated key to search Google and one to open up the on-screen keyboard. But it would be nice to see some navigation buttons, some volume control buttons, and even a dedicated Bluetooth or Settings button.
For $150 keyboard, it does perform very well. And thankfully, the Pixel C magnetic keyboard does do just that. It's not perfect. There's only so much room for a keyboard of this size. But for writing papers, typing the occasional email, updating the social networks, the Pixel C magnetic keyboard can do just that. The ability to customize the angle of the tablet is also a killer feature. The aluminum back cover is icing on the cake. It blends seemlessly with the aluminum back cover found on the Pixel C tablet.