By As the mechanical trend permeates every aspect of the industry and businesses look for a competitive advantage, keyboards have become somewhat of a craze in recent years. One of the most well-known experts, Keychron, is not exempt from the pursuit of the next great thing, which seems to be pottery. The new Q16 HE keyboard is, in fact, all ceramic.
Ceramic material for keycaps is something of a huge issue if you haven’t been closely examining the trends in the keyboard sector. It is precisely what it sounds like: a thick, clay-based substance that has been polished to a silky sheen that makes it feel smoother than even the finest plastic. Additionally, it has a loud “clack” that is audible with each keystroke. (Perhaps don’t bring it to the coffee shop or office.)
With its Q16 HE keyboard, which KitGuru first noticed, Keychron is doubling down on the trend by using ceramic for both the keyboard’s body and keycaps.
With features like RGB illumination, hot-swap switch connections, Hall effect linear switches with actuation that can be adjusted, and programmable choices using the web-based Keychron launcher, the remaining 65% of the board is rather typical for the company’s high-end Q series. It will be available in both black and white.
This isn’t marketed as a gaming board through Keychron’s Lemokey sublabel, despite its remarkable 8,000Hz polling, customizable actuation, and “rapid trigger” feature. Furthermore, it isn’t wireless. Keychron may have believed that the ceramic body would disrupt wireless signals or that the magnetic switches would consume excessive battery power.
The Q16 HE will launch on Kickstarter first, as is customary for Keychron, although the firm has not yet disclosed the exact date. Additionally, there is no cost involved. Expect it to be extremely pricey, given that ceramic keycaps alone can cost $100 or more.
