Today, OnePlus pulled the wraps off the OnePlus 11, its long-anticipated OnePlus Pad, and a bunch of other cool gadgets like the Buds Pro 2. While the OnePlus 11 could make its way to our selection of the best Android phones, the company also announced its maiden foray into the unfamiliar PC peripheral enthusiast market. We saw several teasers in the weeks leading up to its launch, but nothing quite prepared us for the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro. Here are all the juicy details.

Features and specifications

OnePlus built the Keyboard 81 Pro in collaboration with Keychron under its Featuring brand, a new platform focused on co-created innovations. For the uninitiated, Keychron is a reputed high-end pre-built mechanical keyboard brand. One look at the currently available Keychron Q1, and you’ll see the striking visual semblance between the two keyboards. OnePlus’ model has a few noteworthy additions, like a clear crystalline knob (instead of a solid plastic color) and “1+” branding on the Esc key. The board also borrows the Alert Slider’s knurled finish for the small switch to hop between USB-C wired and Bluetooth wireless connectivity modes, a nice touch.

Keychron Q1 V2 (left); OnePlus Featuring Keyboard 81 Pro (right)

The Keyboard 81 Pro draws its name from the 81 keys on the board, including a full-size arrow cluster and Function row. The standard ten-keyless design helps save space on a desk, especially if you don’t use the numpad too often. From previous teasers, we gather that Windows and Mac layouts are both supported. The OnePlus keyboard also supports reprogramming keys and the knob functions at a firmware level using open-source utilities/apps called QMK and VIA. So, customers can also personalize key bindings or program macros rather conveniently.

For switches, OnePlus doesn’t name any established brands like Gateron, Cherry, Gazzew, or Akko. Instead, the company has crafted its own sublime linear and tactile switches with OnePlus branding on the top housing. Clicky switches seem to be completely off the menu, yet, the company’s images of the switch show a blue stem, commonly associated with a clicky switch, so we will have to wait until units start shipping to resolve this confusion.

Gaskets are typically strips of synthetic dampening material placed between metallic components to prevent transmission of vibration, which transforms into undesirable high-pitched pinging sounds, especially on all-metal construction keyboards. Keychron’s double gasket system also promises some amount of softness when you bottom-out the keys, leading to a comfortable typing experience for work and play.

Double gasket mount

The keyboard is constructed using a matte finish top frame milled out of aluminum, just like the bottom case. The latter appears to have a few gleaming elements, like the bar with rubber feet to adjust the tilt angle of the board. Interestingly, the case already has an incline built into it, and the bar will only increase the tilt further.

OnePlus stuck to a classic color scheme with the keycaps — white alphas with gray modifiers and red accents. The brand says the "marble-mallow" keycaps are made of a thermoplastic material, but we doubt it's anything other than ABS or PBT plastic.

Moreover, the company seems to have stuck with the regular (OEM) keycap profile (the slope from row to row for a specific keycap type) found on more affordable boards instead of Keychron's typical profile for keycaps. You should be able to swap out the keycap set if you dislike it, because OnePlus appears to be using standard key widths everywhere. The brand also specifies the switches are hot-swappable, so you can further customize the typing experience if desired.

To satiate the gamer in you, per-key RGB lighting is also available. However, the keycaps aren't shine-through, so the LEDs won't provide backlighting to the legends. You'll just get a glow around each key.

Pricing and availability

There’s no official word on OnePlus’s pricing for the new keyboard. Earlier rumors suggested it could hover around the $120 mark, which doesn’t seem realistic unless OnePlus is willing to eat a loss (or managed to strike one heck of a deal with Keychron to manufacture these boards). When the knob-equipped Keychron Q1 V2 model is a suitable yardstick, the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro should sit somewhere around $200. If true, the pricing would be rather steep for a pre-built keyboard, but not outrageously so considering that CNC machining, offering double gasket mount, and all those connectivity options have an associated price. The mechanical keyboard enthusiast community often splurges more on builds, but they are highly individualized amalgamations of parts, essentially.

The keyboard debuted in India alongside OnePlus gadgets, suggesting it will be available in the country. However, there’s no official word on availability in the region, in the US, or in other international markets. India’s mechanical keyboard community is in its nascent stages, so we believe the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro will probably make its way to Europe and the US eventually to help the company turn a profit and gauge the market.

According to the Featuring website, mass production of the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro is scheduled to begin in March, April, or May this year. So, if you like Keychron keyboards, and like what OnePlus has done to customize its offering, we suggest you save up today. OnePlus’ plans for this product segment remain anyone’s best guess, though.