Photo: OnePlus
OnePlus continues to grow its portfolio beyond phones and other mobile devices. Aside from launching the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Buds Pro 2, and teasing the OnePlus Pad, the company also introduced its upcoming OnePlus Featuring Keyboard 81 Pro. It might seem like a clunky name, but the OnePlus Featuring name is what the brand calls those coming out of its co-creation platform. It worked with well-known mechanical keyboard maker Keychron to bring the 81 Pro to life.
The wireless Keyboard 81 Pro has a similar layout to Keychron's Q1 Pro and features a CNC aluminum body with a specialized double gasket. You can pick between red linear or blue clicky switches, but they're hot-swappable so you can customize your typing experience further with other switches.
These switches are topped with unique Marble-mallow keycaps made from a thermoplastic material. According to OnePlus, this produces a "soft bounce in each press for ultimate comfort, enhance hand-feel and optimal durability." The top right corner of the keyboard features a customizable crystal-clear know. You can do things like press the red Esc key and turn the knob to silence notifications (like the alert slider on OnePlus' premium smartphones).
Photo: OnePlus
The Keyboard 81 Pro works with open-source firmware QMK and VIA for remapping keys or making macros. You can change the backlight with different RGB lighting effects. And a rear switch makes it easier to switch between macOS and Windows. (This keyboard also supports Linux and Android.) And if you aren't using it, the Keyboard 81 Pro can be propped up vertically to take up less desk space.
OnePlus has yet to reveal the pricing and availability of the OnePlus Featuring Keyboard 81 Pro, but it's coming out in the next few weeks. If you want to compare it with the Keychron Q1 Pro, that mechanical keyboard costs a little less than US$200 (around CA$270).