Solar panels have long been used in consumer tech, from Garmin smartwatches and TV remotes to even a laptop. I’ve always wondered why there hasn't been a greater push for them. It’s free power. What’s not to like? Earlier panels may not have been as efficient, but that's no longer the case.
Logitech is no stranger to solar technology. It first made a solar-powered keyboard 15 years ago, the K750, and now the time is ripe for a successor: the Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980. Like the original, this keyboard has no USB charging port and is purely powered by ambient lighting. It costs $100 and comes in black, white, or graphite. The simple and utilitarian design will be right at home in a well-lit office space. However, the K980 struggles to compete with similarly priced keyboards in any way besides solar charging.
Expectedly Utilitarian
Photograph: Henri Robbins
The Slim Solar+ K980 is a standard office keyboard, and it types like one. It uses a two-piece plastic construction (70 percent post-consumer recycled plastic) with low-profile keys and scissor switches. Ignoring the solar panel, this is an incredibly basic keyboard.
The typing sounds a bit rattly, like most scissor-switch keyboards, and each keypress has a soft, almost squishy feeling instead of the crispness of a low-profile mechanical switch. The typing experience is passable, if not enjoyable, and the low-profile, short-travel switches mean key presses will be quick and familiar to most people.
The biggest gripe I have with this keyboard is the keycaps. The Slim Solar+ K980 uses standard silkscreen printing, as opposed to a more durable method like dye sublimation or double-shot injection. This results in text that is more likely to wear and the presence of a subtle outline around each letter. Compared to other low-profile Logitech keyboards, like the MX Keys line, both the typing experience and the keycap quality feel underwhelming.