Logitech’s New Light-powered Keyboard Doesn’t Even Need The Sun

The star compartment does not ray up, contrary to Logitech’s trading images for nan K980. | Image: Logitech

Logitech near solar-powered keyboards successful nan acheronian for complete a decade, but it’s launching a caller 1 today. Just for illustration nan K760 earlier it, its caller $99.99 Signature Slim Solar Plus K980 tin only beryllium powered pinch light. There’s nary USB larboard aliases swappable batteries. Instead, it features a compartment that tin person star aliases artificial ray — 200 lux astatine minimum — into powerfulness to complaint its battery, which nan institution says will past for up to 10 years. Once afloat charged, nan institution says nan K980 tin beryllium utilized successful complete acheronian for up to 4 months.

I asked Logitech if nan K980’s artillery is user-replaceable, and spokesperson Melvin Dilanchian told The Verge that it is “safely user-replaceable (because it’s encased successful a integrative casing), pinch spare parts supplied by iFixIt.”

Beyond its star charging capabilities, nan K980 has a beautiful modular full-size layout, pinch Windows and macOS cardinal labels, directional keys, and a numpad. Its usability statement is pre-programmed to power media, surface brightness, and volume, though you tin customize their secondary features (or move disconnected secondary features altogether) successful nan Logi Options Plus app for Mac aliases Windows. The K980 besides includes a mic shut up key, a camera on/off toggle, and an Action cardinal on nan apical statement that tin beryllium programmed nevertheless you’d for illustration successful nan app. It besides features a caller addition: an AI Launch key.

The AI cardinal is what you deliberation it is; it defaults connected Windows PCs to launching Copilot (ChromeOS defaults to Gemini), though it tin beryllium customized successful Logitech’s app to unfastened ChatGPT aliases an AI punctual builder. Alternatively, you tin delegate 1 of Logitech’s Smart Actions to nan cardinal to, say, inquire Perplexity for an reply to your query successful your browser. Or, you tin conscionable group it to beryllium correct CTRL. The Action Key (the cardinal connected nan apical statement that looks for illustration a large O) and respective others tin beryllium programmed to execute these macros, too, whether you usage 1 of Logitech’s presets aliases create your ain done nan app.

The K980 supports being paired pinch up to 3 Bluetooth devices, letting you switch betwixt them pinch a property of a button. It tin besides beryllium connected to a machine that has a Logitech Bolt USB transmitter, though 1 isn’t included successful nan container (would person been nice!). A erstwhile Logitech exemplary had playful built-in LED indicators that would pass you erstwhile nan ambient ray wasn’t capable to complaint nan keyboard, but nan K980’s powerfulness LED simply turns from greenish to reddish if it needs much charge. This is really Logitech gets you to instal its Options Plus app. The app has an parameter that says whether there’s capable light.

2025 seems to beryllium nan twelvemonth erstwhile companies decided nan sun was cool again, arsenic Lenovo precocious launched nan $99.99 self-charging wireless keyboard that it first showed disconnected successful January astatine CES 2025. I deliberation I excavation it much than nan K980, though I haven’t tried it yet and it doesn’t look to see arsenic overmuch successful nan measurement of customization. Still, it has things that I for illustration successful a keyboard that nan K980 lacks, for illustration adjustable legs that tin springiness it immoderate tilt and a spill-resistant design. Plus, it has a USB-C charging port, conscionable successful case.