Introduction

AZIO has this year been the supplier of new mechanical keyboards with typewriter-style keycaps to me - be it with the MK Retro or newer, crowdfunded Retro Classic that went further in that direction and offered a more premium experience. In a change today, we are looking at not just a wireless mechanical keyboard, but one that was and still is a MacOS keyboard as well. Do not dismiss it already on those grounds alone as we will take it through the paces to figure out how it ends up performing on a Windows PC, and thanks again to AZIO for providing a review sample.


The AZIO MK MAC BT is, as all MacOS products supposedly have to be, a predominantly white-colored keyboard, but I see it as a different color option than the usual black keyboards we get, so I am all for it. In addition, it comes with a white wrist rest and what appears to be a metallic frame we will get to in due time. Notice also the dedicated volume control key and wheel in the top-right corner and the form factor that will inevitably draw comparisons to the more popular Corsair K70 series of keyboards here. There are also MacOS specific keys on the bottom row here, as expected, so here too functionality will be tested to see how these fares in Windows. Let us thus begin the review with a look at the specifications below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

The product box comes with a plastic wrap around it to keep it clean and free of dust, and AZIO uses a predominantly white color scheme here, as perhaps is fitting given what we know of the product itself. On the front is a large colored illustration of the entire keyboard with the wrist rest, and the company and product name are on the left, along with some salient features listed below to indicate that this is a Bluetooth keyboard. This continues on the back with another large illustration and more marketing features on top and along the sides with yet more illustrations and specs. There are seals on either side to help keep the contents inside in place.


Removing a seal on one end, we see that the packaging employs a sleeve with an inner cardboard box that is a plain white with nothing but an arrow to indicate which direction is up, and this in turn helps with finding the double flap on the side that has to be opened to finally access the contents inside.


Opening the box, we see more white and the keyboard itself between two thick foam pieces on the sides and cardboard cutouts on the top and bottom to protect it. Removing the keyboard, we see the accessories that are included on the bottom. AZIO includes a user manual and a communication/feedback guide, with the former recommended for a read-through to understand how to pair the keyboard with MacOS or Windows.


Also included is the charging cable, which is white in color and has a male USB Type-A connector on one end and a male USB Type-C connector on the other. I do love that AZIO ditched the micro USB here as this will help with the longevity of the keyboard in that you will be able to use power banks for your phone, if you will, with this as well. The wrist rest has a rubber finish with dimples on its contact surface, and thankfully is not glossy enough to where it will get dirty quickly. There is a plastic mating connector jutting out the middle, used to install it in place with the keyboard, and there are rubber pads on the underside for some friction with the surface it is placed upon, which should help with accidentally moving the whole contraption around.