NuPhy Node75 retro wireless mechanical keyboard with mini touch bar and 1000-hour battery also gets matching desk mats as pre-orders open
NuPhy recently started teasing the Node75 as a retro-inspired wireless mechanical keyboard with a unique, fully-customisable Apple Touch Bar-like panel above the F row. Now, the keyboard maker has announced full-fledged Node75 pre-orders and revealed a number of interesting details about the upcoming keyboard. Pre-orders are currently available for $99.95, making the Node75 very nearly a budget keyboard option for productivity and gaming users alike.
NuPhy Node75 details and higlights
Previously, NuPhy already revealed that the Node75 would be available in both full-height and low-profile versions and with Gateron's Low-Profile 3.0 Nano and Max switches, but now NuPhy has revealed the full specifications for the Node75, tipping some impressive battery life and an impressively slim design, and revealing the actual case materials and design philosophy as well.
As we covered before, the NuPhy Node75 comes in at $99.95, and NuPhy appears to be focussing on the typing feel, looks, and portability. Despite the long-travel, low-profile switches and the emphasis on typing feel and sound, the Node75 weighs in at 829 g in the full-height version, while the low-profile version comes in at 659 g. While it's not as light as something like the 506 g Logitech MX Keys S (curr. $99.99 on Amazon) or the 425 g Keychron B2 Pro (curr. $39.99 on Amazon), the Node75 is still relatively lightweight for a mechanical keyboard — especially compared to the 1,030 g, low-profile, Iqunix Magi65 Pro we reviewed.
That weight is likely due to the ABS case, although the low-profile Node75 also sacrifices 1,000 mAh of battery (25% smaller, compared to the full-height version), in order to bring down the weight. Presumably, this will translate tto reduced battery life on the low-profile version. The Node75 uses a gasket mount and a PC plate, both of which generally result in clean, poppy sound profiles in our testing of similar keyboards. That ABS case also makes it easy for NuPhy to include quality of life features, like a hardware power and connectivity switch and built-in flip-out feet for improved comfort. As we also observed recently in our testing of keyboards like the Keychron C1 Pro 8K, plastic keyboards can deliver pleasing typing feedback and great build quality.
Impressively, NuPhy has managed to keep the front height for both the low-profile and full-height versions of the Node75 down, with the low-profile version coming in at just
Just like with the NuPhy Kick75, which we enjoyed in our testing, NuPhy has published 3D models for the Node75 to allow deeper customisation and personalisation, which is always a nice touch. The 3D models in question are a pen dock, bar tray, phone stand, display dock, brick mount (as in Lego bricks), a cap mount, and a card rest. If you're skilled or ambitious enough, you should be able to use or modify these parts in order to create your own add-ons for the Node75.
NuPhy Node75 specifications
| Form factor | 75% US ANSI |
| Keycaps | Double-shot PBT, nSA low-profile, mSA full-height |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, USB-C wired |
| Battery capacity | Low-profile: 3,000 mAh; Full-height: 4,000 mAh |
| Battery life | Up to 1,000 hours claimed |
| Backlighting | Low-profile: North-facing per-key RGB; Full-height: South-facing RGB |
| Firmware/Customisation | NuPhyIO with web customisation tool |
| Switch compatibility | Low-profile: Gateron x Nuphy Low Profile 3.0; Full-height: standard full-height 5-pin mechanical switches |
| Case material | Plastic case |
| Plate material and mounting style | PC (polycarbonate) plate, PCB gasket mount |
| Polling rate | Up to 1,000 Hz (wired, 2.4 GHz), 125 Hz on Bluetooth |
| Price | $99.95 pre-order |
Touch Bar keyboard limitations
When NuPhy first revealed the Node75, it seemed as though the entire top bar to the right of the little LED matrix would be touch-sensitive, but the new details revealed alongside the pre-order page make it clear that the Apple Touch Bar-style touch surface only occupies a small portion of that top bar in the top right corner. Interestingly, NuPhy has seen fit to place two tactile bumps to define the start and end of the touch surface. Along with the right-biased placement, the touch bar should more or less replace something like a knob.
That touch surface is customisable in NuPhyIO, NuPhy's browser-based customisation suite, and NuPhy says that you can configure both tap and swipe gestures, which should put the touch surface at feature-parity with most knobs on other mechanical keyboards.
Node75 matching desk mats
NuPhy has also released three new desk mat designs colour-matched to the Node75 and featuring the same dot matrix pattern that is present on the top of the Node75's case. These desk mats appear to be the same size as NuPhy's usual 900 mm x 400 mm x 4 mm desk mats, and they are available for $23 bundled with the Node75.
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