When I was little I had a calculator that did not have batteries and was recharged with sunlight or artificial light. That seemed magical to me, and years later the sensation is almost the same when trying the Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980a keyboard with a name that is as long as it is descriptive (we will abbreviate it from now on) and that has many lights (wink, wink) and few shadows. This is a keyboard that comes with a fundamental novelty: instead of using batteries that we recharge with a USB adapter, this model is recharged with its solar cells. The result is surprisingly convincing, although it is not without some limitations. One of them, important. Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 technical sheet Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 Dimensions and weight 142.9 x 430.8 x 20.2mm 700g Backlight No Light indicators Battery status, Easy-Switch keys Total number of keys 108 Number of programmable keys 23 Special buttons and keys Key to start AI Action key Meeting control keys Settings app Logi Tune / Logi Options+ Battery Battery rechargeable with sunlight or ambient light (>200 lux) Battery life: 10 years autonomy Up to 4 months on a full charge Connectivity Logi Bolt USB-C (receiver not compatible with Unifying) Bluetooth Low Energy Price 119.99 euros Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 for Business, Wireless Keyboard, Discreet Typing, Secure Receiver, Bluetooth, Windows, Mac – Graphite – QWERTY The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Blessed solar cells The first thing that surprises you about the Logitech K980 is not the keyboard, but its packaging. A simple cardboard box that when opened allows us to find three things. The first, the keyboard itself, wrapped in a small case of fine padded material. The second, the instructions for use printed on the inner cover of the box. And the third, the Logi Bolt USB-C receiver, “inserted” in the center of the bottom edge of the box. In my case I didn’t even use that receiver: the Logitech keyboard includes Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, and I quickly saw how that standard was perfectly suitable to start using it with my Mac mini M4. The keyboard detection is immediate, and from then on I started using it without paying attention to something that precisely defines this keyboard. You forget that it needs energy. The keyboard does not connect to any charger to power or recharge it, nor does it use batteries. It uses an internal rechargeable battery that is recharged in a unique way: using solar energy or even ambient light. That ambient light should be above 200 lux, meaning the room you are in should be moderately lit. In an office or classroom, for example, lighting usually ranges between 300 and 500 lux. Logitech calls this charging technology LightCharge. In my case there was no problem in this regard either: a window to my left provides a lot of ambient light, and the artificial lighting, when I have to use it, also exceeds those levels, which basically means that the keyboard is always charged. If it is not, a warning appears through a small LED in the upper right part. We can also check the battery status in the Logi Options+ application. Thus, the most notable and unique thing about this keyboard is curiously something you don’t even pay attention tobecause it is an almost invisible technology. And that’s wonderful, because it means that with very rare exceptions you will never have to worry about the battery of this totally wireless keyboard again: there are no connection ports that we can use to connect it to a computer. The keyboard in action The Logitech K980 is a striking successor to the K760, the “solar” keyboard that Logitech launched more than a decade ago. We are looking at a product that uses low profile keys (hence the “Slim” in its name and that has 108 keys, of which 23 are programmable. Thus, we have key labels that allow us to quickly identify the special Windows and macOS keys (curious that they do use macOS iconography, but not Windows) and even It has a key that allows you to “start the AI” at the bottom left, if we want to use that shortcut. That key is assigned by default to launch CoPilot on Windows computers and Gemini on computers with ChromeOS, but we can configure it so that, for example, ChatGPT or any other model opens. The keys in the function row have traditional access to quick functions (raise and lower brightness and volume, control multimedia playback, enable and disable camera and microphone, etc.) but can be programmed with other types of tasks. There are special programmable keys such as the key with a large “O” above the numeric keypad that can also be programmed to launch a macro preconfigured by the user. Here the customization is notable, and it is possible to get a lot out of these physical accesses. The configuration of all these accesses and shortcuts can be done with the Logi Options+ application, and we also have three keys that are part of the Easy Sitch area in the upper right part (above the Insert-Home-Page Up keys) with which we can switch up to three different devices so that the keyboard can be used on all of them easily. We are, however, facing a membrane keyboard, and that keyboard design island-shaped and low-profile keys makes it very similar to the experience we have on laptop keyboards. The feel of each key is slightly rough, which prevents the fingers from “slipping” when pressing each key, and the travel and pressure required are very similar to that portable experience. If you like that type of keyboards, you will feel at home. If you prefer the experience of a mechanical keyboard, of course, the feel and travel of the keys—and the sound, almost nonexistent when using the K980—is totally different. The light dominates everything, but no backlighting It is ironic that the big … Read more
