Can Andy Ihnatko turn the iPhone 6 Plus into the mobile computer of his dreams


My portable, pocketable iOS workstation: the iPhone 6 Plus with the iWerkz folding Bluetooth keyboard.


I didn't get the new iPhones early this time. I was perfectly fine with that until Wednesday. It felt like it was Dec. 23 and I was heading out to the ice rink with my older brother's old hand me down hockey skates again for a scrimmage and I absolutely knew that the big, heavy, square box under the tree was the new pair of state of the art skates.


See, Wednesday was the day that Amazon announced their (genuinely interesting) new lineup of Kindles at a press event in New York City. For me, it was a busy one day commute: train to NYC, walk straight to the event, straight from there to the New York Public Library to write my column, and then straight back to Penn Station, with nothing else except for lunch with a good friend.


It was the sort of job that I could have handled with my iPad. But I brought my MacBook and my good camera because if I'm going to have to carry a bag, why not enjoy the deluxe version of my field office?


Oh, boy, the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus would have been the perfect choice, if I'd had it.


I suspect that many folks are anticipating the 6 Plus for exactly this same purpose. There are times when I need my full Creative Genius Production Facilities at hand when I travel. Just as frequently, though, a "just big enough" screen with built in Internet access and something that lets me type fast will do just fine. There are tradeoffs, but boarding the train carrying absolutely nothing like James Bond is a big win.


The only thing missing is a decent portable Bluetooth keyboard that's small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. Because I can't use speech to text in the New York Public Library and I'm too much of a sensitive artiste to try to write more than a hundred words on a touchscreen.


I've taken a look around and must declare that perfection for now eludes me. But there are at least three affordable, workable options, and one or two possible stunners over the horizon.


I've been traveling with the iPad for years, I've tried every iPad keyboard and keyboard case under the sun, and I've concluded that the Apple Wireless Keyboard is the clear winner. It's the same keyboard Apple includes with the desktop iMac and it's even superior to the ones built in to the MacBook Pro line. If you're going to have to schlep your iPad around the city in a bag anyway, why suffer with a compromised keyboard?


Particularly when the $30 Origami Workstation Brian Dawkins Broncos Jersey from Incase makes it into a portable delight. It's a wraparound case that unfolds into a tablet stand. It's as clever as self spitting toothpaste and completely functional.


But it's only at the extreme margins of "pocketable," like the other mobile laptop size keyboards on the market. I can carry it in the inside pocket of a winter coat, maybe, with the drawback of being stopped by undercover security every time I walk through a store that sells anything the size and shape of a keyboard.


If the width is the major issue, can we suffer with dignity with a Bluetooth keyboard intended for the iPad Mini?


I have Logitech's Ultrathin magnetic keyboard cover for the iPad Mini, about $60 online. And it works. The only positive thing I can say about the size of the keyboard is John Elway Broncos Jersey that it provokes a rush of nostalgia for anyone who used a Dennis Smith Broncos Jersey Timex Sinclair 1000 computer as a kid in the '80s. Jokes aside, the keys themselves are well made and I find that I can write productively, even if I have to play closer attention to the placement of my fingers. The thick slot that supports and easels the iPad Mini does just as well for the iPhone 6 Plus.


It's about the dimensions of a trade paperback (5 by 8 inches), so we're talking "men's coat pocket size" here. I note that Anker has something similar (though untested by me) for Brian Dawkins Jersey just $30.


It's usable, but short of perfection. If only they redesigned it to put the batteries under the keyboard deck! Then it'd be narrow enough for even a suit jacket pocket.


Verbatim Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard


(As opposed to a Bluetooth keyboard with a cable? That's really the name of the product, Verbatim? Let's just call it "Verbatim Product No. 97537" to save ourselves a little dignity.)


What I really want in an iPhone 6 keyboard is something that fits inside a jacket pocket or even a pants pocket. I want the full discreet carry capability of 007's Walther PPK. Women, I'm sure, are more interested in the "fits inside the insanely tiny pockets that designers seem to think are sufficient" metric.


What about those flexible silicone keyboards that roll up? They stink. Sometimes even literally. End of Roll Up Keyboard Review. Moving on.


Clearly we're talking about a keyboard that folds up. As an engineering problem, this is similar to making a car that can also be a powerboat. Easily to do, almost impossible to do well, and the driver's going to have to expect to get wet.


We're finally on the right track with Verbatim's folding keyboard. It's 4 by 6 inches Authent... Dennis Smith Jersey when folded, and a somewhat chunky inch thick. But it fits in the inside pockets of my sports coats just fine.


(Do keep in mind, o gentlemen of fashion, that I buy my blazers and suits in 6 per pack polybags at the Dollar Store. Also, my body type is optimized for winter warfare. The size of your blazer pockets may vary.)


The Verbatim is kind of chunky but its size is a true, notebook type keyboard. The keys are full size and have plenty of travel; as individual keys, they're just as comfortable as any notebook keyboard I've used.


It takes a little while to become accustomed to the layout, though. Some of the middle keycaps are narrower to accommodate the otherwise subtle gap for the hinge. The bigger problem is the spacebar. Of course it's split in two, but even as a pair, it's only about three keycaps wide. It's just narrow enough that my right thumb keeps missing it.


Not a deal breaker, but it's something to be aware of.


The Verbatim also includes a clever little mousetrap like phone easel that folds out and stores inside the keyboard when not in use.


My current pick: iWerkz Folding Bluetooth Keyboard


This is more like it. It's along the same idea as the Verbatim. The iWerkz is the full width of a notebook size keyboard and Authentic John Elway Jersey its keyswitches have the feel and travel of a notebook keyboard. It folds in half to make it pocketable.


But it's slightly narrower. About 3 by just under 6 inches, it's almost exactly the same size as the iPhone 6 Plus. Any pocket I'll carry the iPhone 6 Plus in should be able to hold this keyboard as well.