Tech
This mechanical keyboard with a built-in touchscreen is excess done right
Kwumsy’s K2 keyboard strikes the perfect balance between, "Why is this a thing?" and "I kind of want it."
There’s a handful of bizarre displays out there with some truly funky aspect ratios, but we’ve yet to see one that’s attached to a mechanical keyboard — that is, until now. Kwumsy went a little kwazy here with its K2 that combines a 12.6-inch touchscreen and a mechanical keyboard.
It’s such a specific design that I haven’t seen anything comparable from any of the more established companies making cool peripherals. Admittedly, it’s probably unnecessary for most people, but there could be a lot of functionality behind having a touchscreen attached to your keyboard.
The K2, which was first reported by The Gadgeteer, can connect to your desktop for an extra screen like a modern cyberdeck, or you can pair it with a tablet for a more portable setup that still types easily. For creatives, this could serve as a second screen for things like editing music or videos.
Two-in-one build — The mini ultrawide monitor trend is certainly becoming more of a thing, as you can see with Asus’s 14-inch ProArt display. Kwumsy’s display is just a little smaller than that, with its 1,920 x 515 resolution screen that has a 60Hz refresh rate.
The K2 can handle 10 touchpoints at once and can support split-screen display. There’s a bunch of customization buttons on the top of the display portion that lets you adjust the brightness, color, sharpness, and more.
The screen holds its own, but it’s only half the package; the other half is a 71-key mechanical keyboard that offers 15 different RGB backlighting settings. For all the mechanical keyboard enthusiasts out there, the keycaps are completely hot-swappable so you can change them out to your preferred keycaps if you don’t dig how the stock option feels. The K2 is also plug-and-play and connects via USB-C or HDMI, while offering two USB-A ports.
Kwumsy exclusive — Kwumsy’s K2 comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a key puller and a hand rest. Kwumsy priced the K2 at $399, but you can prop it up with a stand that costs $39 by itself, or $409 for both.
If you’re hesitant to drop money on a brand you’ve never heard of, I don’t blame you. Kwumsy is a relative unknown, but they’ve been making these weird display solutions for a while. Take for example, its dual- and tri-screen setup attachments that give you extra screens for your laptop. But until another brand starts making a combination mechanical keyboard and mini ultrawide monitor, we have no choice but to go Kwumsy.
