NuPhy updates Halo V2 wireless mechanical keyboards for up to 4X battery life improvements — and there's an option with a num pad
NuPhy has been on a roll of late, releasing both the creative Kick75 hybrid profile mechanical keyboard and the updated Air75 V3, both of which feature the all-new Gateron Low-Profile V3 switches. The latest announcement out of the mechanical keyboard maker, though, is the new NuPhyIO versions of the NuPhy Halo65 V2 and its larger siblings. While, from a hardware perspective, this update appears to be rather minor, with the firmware being the biggest change, NuPhy claims that the move from QMK/VIA to the in-house NuPhyIO firmware has allowed the keyboards to achieve significantly longer battery life.
The NuPhy Halo V2 NuPhyIO series is available from the NuPhy store, with prices ranging from $119.95 to $139.95, depending on the desired layout. The original Halo75 V2 with QMK firmware is available on Amazon for $149.95.
NuPhy Halo V2 series battery life updates
The Halo V2 series comes in three flavours: the compact Halo65 V2, a slightly larger Halo75 V2, and the num pad-touting Halo96 V2, and all of them claim significantly longer battery life thanks to the new NuPhyIO firmware. All of the keyboards feature the same 4,000 mAh battery capacity as their QMK/VIA-compatible counterparts, but QMK firmware has a reputation for not being particularly efficient, and the PCB on the NuPhyIO versions can allegedly be simpler and more integrated than the QMK PCB.
The change to the PCB and firmware have supposedly resulted in the best-case wireless battery life (measured with no LEDs enabled) being extended from around 307 hours on the Halo96 V2 QMK/VIA to 1200 hours on the Halo96 V2 NuPhyIO version — a marked nearly 300% increase in battery life. Of course, things aren't quite as optimistic when the backlighting comes on, with the new firmware seemingly only extending battery life by around 10%.
In our review testing of wireless keyboards like the Keychron K4 HE, we've observed similar high power draw requirements from simply dialling up the RGB backlighting, although NuPhy's testing methodology is unclear. Options like backlighting brightness and connectivity mode will make a difference to power consumption — although 2.4 GHz isn't as much more power-hungry than you might think, given the jump from 125 Hz polling on Bluetooth to 1,000 Hz on 2.4 GHz.
NuPhyIO vs QMK/VIA
The other major consideration when comparing NuPhyIO and QMK/VIA firmware versions is the feature set present in each customisation suite. While both offer a browser-based customisation suite, they have different strengths and weaknesses. QMK is an open-source firmware project, meaning even if NuPhy bites the dust for whatever reason, you'll likely still be able to customise your keyboard as long as you have the correct JSON file — paranoid users often speak of cloning the QMK and VIA repos, and if push comes to shove, you can edit the firmware file directly. QMK also offers highly in-depth customisation options, and there is excellent documentation and a large repository of community support available when you need it.
While NuPhyIO offers a number of convenience features that QMK lacks, like automatic firmware updates and a handful of built-in key binds for select creative applications, it doesn't benefit from the same open-source nature as QMK firmware does. There have also been documented issues with NuPhyIO keyboards deleting custom key binds and macros when the battery is disconnected or fully depleted — an immediate deal-breaker for many power users.
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