Faisal Ghaffar 
There is no doubt that OnePlus has launched some of the best Android phones in the market, but now the company is collaborating with other tech firms to try its hand with several other products. The first product that is part of this initiative is the Keyboard 81 Pro, which is a mechanical keyboard that has been developed in partnership with Keychron. Mechanical keyboard nerds prefer this brand over the others in the market.
Design and build
The Keyboard 81 Pro has been named aptly, as it has 81 keys in total and there are actually two versions of the device available. Each of these versions come with different key switches and grey tone key caps. ‘Summer Breeze’ is the more expensive version, with light grey keycaps for the most part and has linear switches that OnePlus has developed with Keychron.
The other version is called ‘Winter Bonfire’ and it has darker grey PBT keys that have optimized and louder tactile switches. Keychron fans will immediately notice that the layout of these keyboards is similar to that of KeychronQ1 Pro, but the keycaps and overall design is quite different.
The Keyboard 81 Pro is a chunk of silver aluminum that has a transparent dial on the upper right, two-tone grey keys and two red keys, which are an enter key and an escape key that has the OnePlus logo. The underside of the keyboard has an adjustable bar kickstand, which is used for raising or lowering typing height and it feels extremely luxurious.
In fact, the entire keyboard feels very premium. When not in use, the keyboard can be flipped and stood up. It will not slide around your desk due to the use of rubberized contact points. But, the keyboard is heavy, as it weighs 1.87kg. There is RGB lighting under every key and you can program it to different modes.
Feel and typing experience
The key action is quiet on the Summer Breeze and the keys only make a sound when you are typing quickly. But, the sound is not very loud and nothing like that of plastic keys, which means it will not annoy anyone. You can adjust the keyboard to any angle with the kickstand and this makes typing very comfortable. It is also possible to use the VIA app for remapping the keys.
Battery
There is a 4,000mAh battery that has been included in the keyboard, which will drain quickly if you are using the RGB lighting effects. But, this is only a problem if you are using the keyboard wirelessly. Otherwise, you can use the USB-C cable given in the box. The keyboard charges in 5 hours, but you can use it wirelessly for a week, as long as RGB lighting is turned off.
The Verdict
The OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro is priced at $219 and $239 for the Winter Bonfire and Summer Breeze versions. Anyone looking for a premium mechanical keyboard that can offer an excellent typing experience in terms of sound and feel can give it a try.
