Improve Your OnePlus With This Magnificent Mechanical Keyboard
OnePlus is expanding beyond phones and mobile accessories like the new OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Buds Pro 2 into… mechanical keyboards? The upcoming OnePlus Met Keyboard 81 Pro may not be the most direct extension of the company’s existing products – the announcement of its first Android tablet, the OnePlus Pad is a more logical fit. But it was created with feedback from OnePlus fans and designed to match the premium style of its other devices.
Read more: OnePlus 11 review: Powerful, but not perfect
OnePlus designed the keyboard with Keychron, a company known to mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. (Keychron currently has a Kickstarter campaign for its latest wireless model, the Q1 Pro, which has the same layout as the 81 Pro.) The collaboration is the reason for the clunky name. The Keyboard 81 Pro is the first product released from the co-creation platform OnePlus Featuring. And based on the announcement, the 81 Pro sounds like a balanced mix of the two brands.
The Wireless Keyboard 81 Pro has a CNC aluminum body with a specialized double gasket that, on other Keychron keyboards I’ve used, kills any ping and removes any cavity. Instead, you get a pleasant thump with the press of each key.
You’ll have a choice of red linear or blue click switches, but they’re hot-swappable so you can customize your typing experience with other switches. The switches are covered in unique marble-mauve keycaps made from a thermoplastic material that OnePlus says “delivers a gentle bounce in every press for ultimate comfort, enhanced hand feel and optimal durability.
The keyboard can be used wirelessly over Bluetooth or wired via a USB port on the back.
OnePlus
There is a customizable crystal clear knob in the top right corner of the keyboard. Press the red Esc key and turn the knob and you’ll be able to silence notifications, just like the alert slider on OnePlus’ premium phones. The keyboard also works with open source firmware QMK and VIA for remapping keys or creating macros. In addition, the background can be changed to various RGB lighting effects. A switch on the back lets you switch between MacOS or Windows keyboard layouts, and the keyboard can also be used with Linux and Android.
The keyboard can stand vertically to take up less desk space when not in use.
OnePlus
Pricing and availability for the OnePlus Featuring Keyboard 81 Pro will be available in the coming weeks. However, Keychron’s fully assembled Q1 Pro is available on Kickstarter for a little under $200 and is expected to ship in April. Make of it what you will.
First published on February 7, 2023 at 7:00 AM PT.
