Mechanical keyboards are great, allowing you to type faster and more accurately, while feeling a whole lot better with their responsive tactile feel. Problem is, they’re also bigger, making them unsuitable for use anywhere other than homes and offices. The NuPhy NuType F1 wants to change that.
Billed as “the smallest mechanical keyboard in the world,” the peripheral is designed to sit comfortably on top of laptop keyboards, allowing you to use it with your on-the-go devices, so you can enjoy the crunchy sound of mechanical switches while working on the road. Granted, you’ll need some extra room in your bag to fit it, so you won’t be able to leave house with just a laptop sleeve or one of those super slim laptop-only backpacks in tow.
The NuPhy NuType F1 is 64-key wireless mechanical keyboard that measures 277.5 x 94.6 x 16.8 mm, making it compact enough to fit in your everyday backpack, so you can take it along with the rest of your daily productivity gear. It uses ultra-thin Kaihua chock switches, which are 42 percent shorter than standard mechanical switches, allowing them to shrink the whole thing into a size that’s more suited to membrane keyboards. It can pair with all Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android devices via Bluetooth, with an opening at the bottom that allows you to put it on top of the laptop’s keyboard without it actually touching any of the keys.
Naturally, this won’t work with all laptops, since each one has its own keyboard layout, although they do have a list of all Apple, Microsoft, Lenovo, Razer, Alienware, HP, and Dell laptops where the device should nestle safely on top. The list is quite extensive, too, so you should be able to use this with plenty of laptop models. And yes, it’s designed to keep the Touch Bar on newer MacBooks accessible, so Apple users can still keep using their custom controls and displays while getting to type on a mechanical keyboard. It can also be paired with Android devices
The NuPhy NuType F1 has an enclosure cut in a mix of aluminum and hard plastic, so it should have a very light weight to go with the compact dimensions, all while being reasonably durable, too, ensuring it can withstand the rigors of everyday use. It comes with full RGB backlighting for users that enjoy that added keyboard illumination (over 20 built-in light effects), while the integrated 1200mAh battery allows it to run for up to three months with the backlighting off.
According to the outfit, it can pair with up to three different devices over Bluetooth, with a single keystroke allowing you to switch from one device to another, so you can use it simultaneously with a Windows laptop, an Android tablet, and an Android phone. Other features include four indicator lights, a wired mode for tethered use via USB cable, and a USB-C connection.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the NuPhy NuType F1. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $100.