Jani Dushman
The evolution of keyboards has reached a point where built-in screens are no longer a novelty, but finding one with a massive LCD touchscreen combined with Stream Deck functionality is still quite rare. Today, we’re diving into the AJAZZ AKP815 Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard, which pushes the boundaries of keyboard design and functionality. Let’s explore what sets this keyboard apart from the competition.
AJAZZ introduces the AKP815, an 81-key low-profile keyboard with a standout feature—a 4.95-inch colorful touchscreen display. This vibrant display offers customizable boot animations and can function as a touchscreen numpad, adding a level of interactivity not seen in most keyboards. Built with Huano tactile mechanical switches and durable injection-molded ABS keycaps, the AKP815 is as functional as it is innovative.
Also Read: AJAZZ AJ159 APEX Tri-Mode Gaming Mouse Review
But what exactly does this large LCD screen offer? How does Stream Deck functionality enhance a keyboard’s capabilities? Let’s dive into the full review to discover the potential of the AJAZZ AKP815 and how it stands out in a crowded market.
Unboxing
The AJAZZ AKP815 comes in stylish outer packaging with a gray background and a NACODEX anime design, highlighting its trendy and modern aesthetic. The side of the box clearly displays the “AJAZZ × NACODEX” branding, indicating the co-branded nature of the product. On the back, essential details such as certification barcodes and manufacturer information from AJAZZ are provided, ensuring authenticity and transparency.
Opening the package, you’ll find the AJAZZ AKP815 Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard, accompanied by a Type-C to Type-A USB cable, a key puller, and an instruction manual. The inclusion of the key puller simplifies customization and maintenance, while the instruction manual ensures you can quickly familiarize yourself with the keyboard’s features.
Design
When reviewing any product, its visual appeal plays a crucial role in drawing attention, regardless of the features it offers. The AKP815 comes in two distinct color options: a combination of white, blue, and orange, available with either red or brown switches. Both versions have a clean and fresh design that blends seamlessly with most setups. While the colors remain the same across both models, the layout of the key positions varies slightly, offering subtle distinctions. This balanced, stylish look aligns well with popular tastes, ensuring the keyboard fits easily into most environments. I received the White, Blue, Orange model with red switches, and its design feels particularly harmonious.
When I unboxed the AJAZZ AKP815 mechanical keyboard, the color scheme instantly grabbed my attention with its sleek and modern design. The most striking feature is the replacement of the traditional numeric keypad with a 4.95-inch LCD touchscreen. This touchscreen adds both visual appeal and practicality, offering customizable displays and shortcuts that enhance functionality.
The keyboard features an 81-key layout, with the number pad replaced by the LCD touch panel. While slightly wider than a typical 81-key keyboard, it’s about 20% smaller than the 104-key version. For those who still prefer number keys, the customizable touch panel can serve as a functional alternative, providing the same capabilities while saving space.
The AJAZZ AKP815 stands out with its solid build quality and choice of materials. The rounded corners of the keyboard contribute to a comfortable feel, with no sharp edges to disrupt the user experience. Its ABS keycaps, produced through injection molding, offer a smooth, delicate touch. The characters on the keycaps are seamlessly integrated, providing improved resistance to oil and wear. The combination of blue, white, and orange in the color scheme gives the keyboard a fresh, calming aesthetic that feels modern yet gentle.
The AKP815’s keys are thoughtfully designed, adding to its overall performance. The keycaps are made using ABS injection molding and feature a two-color injection process, ensuring the characters and body are seamlessly integrated. This construction makes the keycaps more resistant to oil and wear, providing durability for extended use. The keyboard also supports full-key anti-ghosting, ensuring smooth and accurate input during intense typing or gaming sessions.
The AJAZZ AKP815 features a Gasket structure that is commonly seen in contemporary mechanical keyboards. This setup, combined with EVA sandwich cotton, significantly reduces key noise and internal vibrations, resulting in a quieter and smoother typing experience. The keyboard’s slim profile is well-managed, with a minimum thickness of 19mm and a maximum of 26mm, which is quite distinctive. The Gasket structure, along with the EVA layer, effectively dampens vibrations. While the typing experience remains pleasant and the sound is relatively crisp, the keyboard’s short axis may not be ideal for gaming, though it excels in office environments.
The AJAZZ AKP815 keyboard features HUANO low-profile switches, available in brown and red options. These switches offer quicker actuation compared to standard mechanical switches, enhancing typing comfort and efficiency. The keyboard supports full-key anti-ghosting, ensuring smooth typing even at high speeds. The shaft is significantly thinner than conventional mechanical shafts, only 12mm, which means that the feel of hitting the key shaft is very comfortable.
With Huannuo Low Red Switches, it provides a travel distance of 3.1±0.2mm and trigger travel of 1.2±0.3mm, with an operating force of 42±8gf and an end force of 52±8gf. The transparent top cover enhances RGB lighting, making it more vibrant. Despite its shorter key travel and faster trigger speed, the keyboard maintains a comfortable typing experience, reducing wrist strain during extended use.
Though the AJAZZ AKP815 keycaps aren’t designed to let light through, the illumination from the switches creates a pleasing glow that shines through the gaps. The result is visually appealing and enhances the overall look of the keyboard.
The AJAZZ AKP815 keyboard features an ABS bottom shell, complemented by a brushed aluminum plate near the Type-C port that adds a touch of elegance. This design not only looks refined but also enhances the overall texture. The keyboard includes two height adjustment levels with adjustable footrests, enabling users to customize the typing angle for optimal comfort.
The Ajazz AKP815 mechanical keyboard features a single Type-C port and lacks wireless connectivity. The smooth transition between the brushed aluminum top and the ABS bottom shell highlights the precise craftsmanship and attention to detail in its design.
Display and Software
The AJAZZ AKP815, despite its compact 75% layout, goes beyond expectations with the addition of a 4.95-inch LCD color screen. This innovative feature allows users to reintroduce numeric keys or customize the screen with various toolboxes, websites, and app shortcuts via the official driver. The large screen facilitates quick access to essential functions, significantly enhancing productivity.
The AJAZZ AKP815’s integrated screen is particularly noteworthy. To activate it, you need to download the driver from the official AJAZZ website; otherwise, the screen will remain blank. Users familiar with Stream Deck will find the setup straightforward. Once the driver is installed and the keyboard is connected, you can configure Stream Deck AJAZZ. Begin by enabling screen startup upon boot and personalize the display with your preferred image. The default setup includes various options such as an information dashboard, quick access to websites, WINDOWS controls, and a music console.
The keyboard’s default settings offer a solid starting point, but there’s plenty of room to enhance functionality. With additional plug-ins and customizable icons, users can tailor their experience to suit their preferences, giving them complete control over the keyboard’s features.
The 4.95-inch LCD color screen offers 15 customizable programming buttons. To configure them, simply click the hotkey in the toolbox within the official screen driver, drag it onto the 15-square grid, set the desired function, add a title, and upload a preferred icon. Once set up, the numeric keypad will be seamlessly displayed on the touch screen.
The numeric keypad is complemented by 15 programmable visual keys that offer quick access to websites, calculators, emoticons, and control panels. For instance, you can instantly open frequently visited websites by clicking their icons on the color screen, eliminating the need to navigate through your browser manually. Additionally, users involved in live broadcasting will benefit from built-in support for OBS Studio, allowing easy access to recording, streaming, and transition functions directly from the color screen.
The AJAZZ AKP815 keyboard allows users to customize the screen startup logo via driver software available on the AJAZZ official website but only supports static images with a resolution of 480×854. Both the startup logo and touch icons are limited to static visuals. Future updates could enhance user experience by incorporating dynamic images. Additionally, an online wallpaper gallery would be a valuable feature, simplifying the process for users to set screen savers when the Stream Deck is idle.
In addition, the cool RGB lighting effects that game fans love most are also available on this mechanical keyboard, and we can set which lighting effect to use through another keyboard driver.
Conclusion
I'm Jani, a dedicated Tech Writer and Reviewer at Xiaomitoday. With a passion for exploring and dissecting the latest in technology, my mission is to bring you insightful and comprehensive reviews that empower your decision-making in the fast-evolving world of gadgets and tech.
