OnePlus has announced plans to enter the PC accessories market with its first mechanical keyboard. Best known for its Android smartphones, OnePlus is a Chinese brand owned by BBK Electronics, which also owns brands like Vivo, Oppo and Realme. Apart from phones, OnePlus also makes smart TVs, wireless earphones, smartwatches and various other accessories. The company has also confirmed that it will launch new desktop monitors in India later this month, while recent rumors suggest that it is working on its first-ever Android tablet.
Mechanical keyboards are a must-have accessory for all serious gamers. They are comparatively more expensive than membrane keyboards meant for everyday consumers, but offer much better feedback, making them best suited for gaming purposes. They come with different switch types, layouts and keycap materials, meaning there's something for everyone, regardless of what users are looking for. While PC hardware and accessory brands like Corsair, Razr, Logitech, Cooler Master, SteelSeries and others are known for making mechanical keyboards, OnePlus is now hoping to break into that market with its upcoming offering.
OnePlus has announced that it is working on its first mechanical keyboard in collaboration with keyboard manufacturer Keychron. The product will be part of its new ‘OnePlus Featuring’ co-creation platform, which will see the company work with new partners that it believes share its vision and creativity. OnePlus says it will reveal more about the keyboard on Dec. 15. However, the company did not specify its contribution to its design and development, if any. That means the upcoming device could simply be a new Keychron keyboard marketed by OnePlus under its own brand, possibly with a few design tweaks.
OnePlus Working On A Mechanical Keyboard
OnePlus did not reveal when the keyboard will be released, nor did it say whether it will be available globally or in a few select markets. There's no word on its price either. Still, the proposed entry into a completely new product category shows the company is trying to expand its portfolio, and if successful, will likely lead to further collaborations with other companies in the future.
Despite its recent forays into other segments of the consumer tech industry, smartphones remain OnePlus' bread and butter for now. The company's current flagship is the OnePlus 10 Pro, while the OnePlus 11 is in the works for next year. OnePlus is also focusing more on software support for its flagship products and recently announced plans to deliver four major OxygenOS updates and five years of security updates to select devices.
Source: OnePlus