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Satechi SM3: Two-minute evaluation
Satechi has been making Apple-esque equipment for just a few years now, with keyboards, mice, charging docks and extra on its roster. However in all that point, it’s by no means made a mechanical keyboard – till the SM3 got here alongside.
Satechi has opted to kick off its mechanical vary with a full-size board that includes a numpad on its right-hand edge. It appears nice and can slot in neatly along with your Apple gadgets, however it additionally works completely properly with Home windows PCs.
The important thing switches really feel a bit heavy and there’s just one change selection. Satechi has opted for its personal proprietary change, making it tougher to know the way the board will really feel before you purchase. That holds it again, and we’d favor extra selection right here. Trying past that, it’s received loads of connectivity choices, making it properly suited to individuals who discover themselves typing on completely different gadgets through the day.
Satechi SM3: Value & availability
- How a lot does it value? $119.99 (about £93 / $190 AUD)
- When is it obtainable? Accessible now
- The place are you able to get it? Accessible globally
The Satechi SM3 prices $119.99, which is about £93 or $190 AUD. That’s not an outrageous worth to pay, particularly for a full-length board.
Satechi SM3: Design
The SM3 is Satechi’s first full-length, 108-character keyboard. Which means it comes with a numpad on the right-hand aspect, together with a few bonus keys for connecting the system to Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, or over a cable.
My evaluation unit got here in a easy, enticing grey and white colorway, however there’s additionally a darker model obtainable. Each include 14 completely different backlighting patterns (a few of that are a contact distracting) however it solely shines in white – there’s no RGB right here. That white backlighting was typically arduous to see in daylight in opposition to the white keycaps, making discerning keys with a fast look trickier than it ought to have been. There was no difficulty in low gentle, although.
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It is a slimline keyboard with low-profile keycaps (there are just a few spare Home windows ones within the field), and that helps it match neatly right into a bag in your travels, supplied your backpack can accommodate the keyboard’s full-size size. The keycaps are detachable, however any replacements want to suit Satechi’s proprietary change stems (extra on that later).
The SM3 can also be impressively light-weight for a big keyboard, weighing in at 1.42lbs (648g) on my scales. For comparability, my Keychron K8 – with its smaller tenkeyless design – weighs 1.96lbs (889g). The Satechi SM3 comes with an aluminum high and sides, whereas the beneath is comprised of sturdy plastic.
Across the again are two pop-out toes to prop the board up. Though there are two top choices right here, they’re each at a reasonably shallow angle. It could have been good to have an possibility for the next incline. There’s additionally no wrist relaxation, however that’s not an enormous downside.
Satechi SM3: Efficiency
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The Satechi SM3 is a mechanical keyboard, however it solely comes with one change: a proprietary brown tactile possibility. It’s a bit heavy and sluggish in use, and after just a few days I observed some finger fatigue from having to press tougher than I’m used to. A extra light-weight configuration would have been welcome. The switches usually are not hot-swappable, both, so in the event that they don’t really feel proper to you, you’re caught with them.
That is positively not a gaming keyboard, however it’s surprisingly viable for this utilization. I performed a spread of titles, together with fast-paced shooters and far more sedate video games, and in each instances the keyboard stood up moderately properly. You received’t discover any gamer-specific options, however the low-profile keycaps had been straightforward to seek out by contact within the warmth of battle. The principle difficulty is the board’s size, and I discovered my mouse hitting the sting of the numpad at occasions.
I did have occasional points with sure keys not registering when pressed, and this appeared to primarily have an effect on the area bar and left Shift key. There have been no points with ghosting in my testing, although.
You may join the SM3 to 2 gadgets over Bluetooth, one utilizing the two.4GHz receiver, and one with the included USB-C cable. Switching over Bluetooth takes a couple of second and simply requires you to press a single button on the keyboard. You can even change layouts between Home windows and macOS, and the keys to do that have “Mac” or “Win” helpfully printed on their keycaps.
Disappointingly, there’s no companion app to assign macros and reassign keys, and the SM3 shouldn’t be appropriate with QMK or VIA.
Do you have to purchase the Satechi SM3?
|
Worth |
The worth appears honest, though it doesn’t include many attractive bells and whistles. |
3/5 |
|
Design |
The Satechi SM3 appears pretty and really feel strong, regardless of its slimline design. |
4/5 |
|
Efficiency |
The one change possibility is on the heavy aspect and you may’t swap it out for one thing else. Gaming efficiency is ok, although, and it’s straightforward to flip between linked gadgets. |
3/5 |
|
Common ranking |
An excellent mechanical keyboard with some welcome touches, however the lack of a number of (and higher) change choices holds it again. |
3.5/5 |
Purchase the Satechi SM3 if…
Don’t purchase it if…
Satechi SM3: Additionally contemplate
How I examined the Satechi SM3
I examined out the Satechi SM3 in each work and gaming situations, utilizing it to sort all day lengthy and sport within the evenings. I additionally paired it with each a Mac and a PC and tried it on each machines to see how properly it fared with the completely different key layouts.
First reviewed March 2025