Logitech’s New Signature Slim Keyboard Is Powered by Light
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Logitech has just released a new wireless keyboard that you’ll never need to worry about charging. Dubbed the Signature Slim Solar+, it’s powered entirely by light, but despite the name, it’s not just “solar” powered in the traditional sense.
The new Slim Solar+ K980 isn’t Logitech’s first attempt at a solar-powered keyboard; it released the Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 nearly 15 years ago, using a photovoltaic cell to draw power from the sun or another strong light source, plus an internal battery that promised up to three months of use in total darkness. Where the K980 differs — and earns its Solar+ designation — is in its ability to charge from a relatively minimal amount of light.
In other words, you won’t need to keep the K980 in direct sunlight to give it a charge. Typical office lighting should be more than enough to charge it, and even subdued incandescent lighting will typically be sufficient to maintain a charge.
Logitech was good enough to send me a review unit, and I’ve been using the Signature Slim Solar+ K980 as my regular keyboard for about three weeks now in my basement office, which usually has little more than an indirectly aimed incandescent desk lamp and an Apple Studio Display for lighting.
This setup has been sufficient for the keyboard to retain a 95% charge, but even without it, the Slim Solar+ has enough battery life to last up to four months. So, unless you prefer a cave-dweller ambience, you’re unlikely to ever end up with a depleted battery.
Technically, the Slim Solar+ K980 requires a minimum of 200 lux to maintain power. However, the good news is you won’t need to find a light meter to figure that out, as Logi’s Options+ software, which is also used to configure the keyboard, provides a one-click button that will let you check if there’s enough light available.
The K980 is also a much more premium entry compared to Logitech’s last solar keyboard, as the higher number suggests. Logitech’s 700-series models are great midrange keyboards, but the 900-series are the company’s flagships, so it’s great to see this new Logi LightCharge feature on a higher-end keyboard.
This means you not only don’t need to worry about how your keyboard is being powered, but it’s an elegant, low-profile design that provides the excellent typing experience that Logitech keyboards are known for, plus multi-device Bluetooth pairing and a wealth of extra function keys for the usual Mac options plus other things like triggering your favorite AI assistant and muting the mic during Zoom or FaceTime calls.
You can use the aforementioned Options+ app to redefine any of these keys, including the usually built-in function keys for things like brightness, plus an extra row of four keys above the numeric keypad, and even the insert, home, end, page up, and page down keys. The right OPT key is designed to quickly call up an AI assistant, such as ChatGPT (it defaults to CoPilot for Windows users, but Macs have no default); however, it’s also customizable to do whatever you want. In total, there are 23 customizable keys here.
Logi’s Options+ software also supports Smart Actions, letting you effectively create a macro that runs a set of tasks. For example, a default “Meeting Mode” Smart Action can open Zoom, bring up the Notes app, and enable Do Not Disturb mode. There are a few other built-in defaults, but you can create as many more as you like, and they’re all fully customizable.
There’s also Logitech’s usual trio of multi-pairing buttons that let you quickly switch between up to three Bluetooth devices, so you can use the keyboard to control an iPhone and iPad in addition to a Mac. While you’ll find a power switch around back for those times when you know you won’t be using it for a while, it’s hardly ever necessary to actually turn it off, and one thing you won’t find here is a USB port. After all, reducing cable clutter is the name of the game here.
The Signature Slim Solar+ K980 retails for $99.99 and comes in two versions: a universal model in graphite and a Mac-specific model that’s available in graphite or off-white. The Mac version differs primarily in its macOS-specific keycaps and the lack of a dedicated AI button. Still, the universal version works fine with a Mac (it’s the one I’ve been using) and has keycaps printed for Windows, ChromeOS, and macOS.
