Last week, Microsoft introduced the Modern Keyboard with Fingerprint ID, a new keyboard compatible with Windows 10 and optimized for Surface devices. It costs $129.99, and it includes a key that is also a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello sign-in.
The upcoming keyboard was revealed quietly along with the Modern Mouse, a new mouse that sports the same sleek aesthetics of the Surface lineup and enhanced performance. It costs $49.99, and like the keyboard, it has no release date.
There is not much information save for the official product listings and videos, and both peripherals are shown just as coming soon. Microsoft’s new products seem to emphasize build quality and security features above other aspects.
Microsoft Modern Keyboard: specs and features
Officially called the Modern Keyboard with Fingerprint ID, the new keyboard by Microsoft offers a premium typing experience encased in an aluminum frame and sensitive keys with a gray finish.
It is 16.57 inches long, 4.43 inches wide, and it stands 0.76 inches above the surface. It weighs just 14.58 ounces, which makes it incredibly lightweight for its durability and functionality.
The main selling point of the Modern Keyboard is its creative yet seamless integration of a fingerprint reader as just one more key. Users can just press the key with their fingers to have Windows Hello recognize them and grant them access.
Other than that, the keyboard has other attractive features like both wired and wireless usability, as a USB-C connector can link the Modern Keyboard to supported devices if needed as well as charge it for up to four months. A switch on the back of the device lets users turn it on for wireless use.
Regarding precisely that wireless usability, it is true that the Modern Keyboard is compatible with Windows 10 machines, but it can also be used with devices that support Bluetooth 4.0 or higher.
This means that Microsoft’s latest keyboard will technically work with macOS laptops and desktops, iOS, Windows 10 Phone, Android devices, and even Windows 8 machines as long as they pack advanced-enough Bluetooth transmitters.
The Modern Keyboard connects at 2.4 GHz frequencies, and it has a variable range depending on the environment where it is used. In open spaces, the keyboard can be at 10 meters or 33 feet from the paired device, whereas in offices and more closed rooms the peripheral can only do half as well.
Microsoft has the Modern Keyboard listed as coming soon for $129.99 with a one-year limited warranty, so we might expect the accessory to launch over the next couple of months. It might share its launch with the $49.99 Modern Mouse.
Source: Microsoft
