HANDS ON Logitech is harnessing solar power in the K980 Signature Slim keyboard to solve a problem that might not have occurred to some users: battery anxiety.
The full-size keyboard (with a separate number pad) employs solar charging tech called Logi LightCharge, featuring a solar panel along the top of the device and a rechargeable battery within. Logitech reckons that when fully charged, the keyboard will last for four months if used in total darkness and take eight hours of light to recharge.
In practice, this means the keyboard should never run out of charge unless users are typing by feel in the dark for a few months or using the solar panel as an impromptu pen holder (it’s a tempting groove at the top of the keyboard).
Logitech K980 Signature Slim Solar keyboard (pic: Logitech)
For the sake of the battery, there is no backlight, although an option to use one and accept a reduced battery life would have been nice.
Also missing from the keyboard are other lights, such as the Caps Lock indicator and, annoyingly, a gauge for the battery level. The Logi+ app will show how the power system is running, but it would be useful to check the charge without switching to Logitech’s proprietary software.
And yes, the software is proprietary. Logitech tells The Register that discussions are underway regarding the addition of charge status to power indicators within operating systems such as Windows, but for now, the Logi+ app is the only way to go.
Still, users are unlikely to have to worry about the charge level. So long as the keyboard is used somewhere relatively light, the battery should remain topped up.
In use, the keyboard feels a little light and flimsy. The device, which measures 430.8 mm x 142.9 mm x 20.2 mm, weighs in at 700 g. Logitech calls it a “laptop-style typing experience,” which is fair. However, the chiclet keys do feel somewhat hollow compared to the keyboard of a Surface Laptop 7, for example.
The device can be switched between three operating systems, and there are customizations aplenty in the form of a configurable row of F-keys, an action key, and the inevitable AI button. On Windows, this fires up Copilot.
Curiously absent is a way to adjust the keyboard height to find a comfortable typing angle. The keyboard is slightly angled, but the omission of foldable legs is odd. Logitech told us the built-in four-degree typing angle is “to provide a naturally comfortable typing experience right out of the box.” We’d rather decide that for ourselves.
There is also no socket with which to connect the device, so it cannot be manually recharged or run in wired mode.
Solar-powered keyboards are not particularly new. Logitech sells the K750, which requires Logitech’s USB dongle to be plugged in. The K980, however, works using Bluetooth (although a dongle can be used if needed) and, being part of the Signature Slim range, is a handsome piece of hardware (at least as far as a keyboard can be described in such terms).
However, considering the lengthy battery life enjoyed by many existing wireless keyboards, including Logitech’s own, adding proprietary solar charging technology feels more like a solution in search of a problem.
As for who would use this, it’s easy to imagine the hardware being rolled out across an enterprise thanks to the low administration overhead. End users who want a device that “just works” will also benefit.
It’s certainly convenient to know that the device will usually function without faffing: no about batteries or cables. Losing functionality such as a backlight might be a high price to pay for some.
Speaking of prices, the recommended retail price for the K980 is $99 for universal and Mac versions, and $109 for the business edition. ®
Source link
