The Keychron K3 HE I backed on Kickstarter has arrived ~You bought another low-profile keyboard, didn't you?~

Unboxing Ceremony

A package that looked like it could have come from AliExpress arrived in my home's delivery box.
You can't tell from the photo, but it was strangely dusty and felt unpleasant. That said, the contents were wrapped in bubble wrap and polyethylene sheets, so the individual box was, of course, in pristine condition. It's fine, no problem.

Model

The one I backed and purchased is the white K3 HE: Magnetic Hall Effect Precision, which is geared toward gaming. The model number was K3H-Q1.

Advantages of magnetic switches

As someone who loves the popular He-Man, I can't help but feel excited by the abbreviation 'HE' for 'Hall Effect,' which is the symbol and classification for magnetic keyboards.
He-Man, the man who uses a magnetic keyboard! HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA !!!

Customizability of actuation points

Since the sensor constantly measures magnetic flux density, the depth at which the key reacts can be freely changed via software.

Rapid Trigger

Because you can 'reset the moment the key starts to rise' or 're-input the moment it starts to go down,' it can be perfectly synchronized with the slightest movement of your fingers. It boasts an overwhelming advantage in precise aiming and sudden stops in FPS and TPS games, as well as in super-fast tapping in rhythm games.

Assigning multiple commands to one key

Taking advantage of the previous feature, you can also assign different input commands for when a key is 'pressed shallowly' and 'pressed deeply.' You can complete operations like walking when pressed shallowly and running when pressed deeply with a single key.

No chattering or friction noise

Since there are no physical metal contacts, 'chattering' due to wear or aging theoretically does not occur, and there is no friction or squeaking noise from metal contacts.
That's what is often said, so I wrote it down too, but friction of the resin parts occurs in any format, so noise due to wear, wobbling, and loss of precision exist in principle.

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Disadvantages of magnetic switches

In the first place, it's been a long time since I stopped playing games, so it's a waste of potential.

Overwhelming power consumption

Regardless of the format, the microcontroller part needs to be powered, but unlike mechanical switches that only require significant power the moment the contacts touch, magnetic keyboards constantly detect magnetic flux density, meaning they are constantly consuming a large amount of power, which makes their battery life very poor.
There is a 10-fold difference in battery life between this magnetic K3 HE and the mechanical K3 Ultra.

If you simply calculate using it for 8 hours a day, the battery will run out in 6.875 days, which means in reality, you'll end up charging it almost every week. That's terrible...
Well,since I already have a total of 6 K3s, excluding this new magnetic one,I bought this knowing full well that I wanted one with different characteristics, so... it's, it's okay...

Magnetic keyboards are a divine tool permitted only to gamers who don't mind being tethered by a wire.
However, if you put the current lithium-ion batteries in a wired keyboard, unless you use a very high-quality pass-through, the degradation will be fast and the accident rate will be high... so I think they should be adopted in keyboards (that consider portability) only when all-solid-state batteries become widespread.

High Price

Because the development and procurement costs for sensors, dedicated circuit boards, and control software are high, they are basically in a higher price range than mechanical keyboards.
The K3 HE is an entry-grade K series, so it's actually quite cheap (just under 20,000 yen) (?), but most magnetic ones are generally in the 20,000 to 40,000 yen range 😇~💸
Also, due to their precision, repair costs are exorbitant.

Lack of Switch Options

With the expiration of Cherry's patents, the world has been flooded with MX-compatible mechanical switches.
As a result, there are hundreds of third-party switches, which has expanded the range of choices to the point of being overwhelming, but there are still only a handful of magnetic ones. Also, due to their structure, the typing feel is basically linear.
Magnetic switches that forcibly create a bump regardless of the contact point have started to appear, but we users need to stay calm and realize that we have entered a warring states period where manufacturers are competing with their own proprietary standards.

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Exchange Rate Impact

As luck would have it, just as it arrived, the crowdfunding campaign on Makuake by KOPEK JAPAN, the Japanese distributor for Keychron, began.
In other words, during the period of the domestic crowdfunding, which is a second-hand attempt... how should I put it... it's a period where you can bask in a sense of superiority, but... wait? That's strange?? If I use the KOPEK LINE coupon, mine is actually 2,000 to 3,000 yen more expensive???

Supporting a purchase on Kickstarter is the cheapest way to get gadgets.
For the Keychron K3 HE & K3 Ultra, it seems the distributor KOPEK JAPAN did their best, so that wasn't the case...

Prices are volatile, but this time, the win goes to KOPEK × Makuake.
In addition to that, considering the quality of the packaging mentioned at the beginning, as well as customer support, unless you want to get it as early as possible, it might be better to entrust your Keychron keyboard purchase to KOPEK JAPAN's domestic crowdfunding.

Typing Sound and Feel

Is it a low-pitched clack-clack type...
Or a high-pitched thock-thock type...
I don't quite understand the current terminology for typing sounds, but there is no doubt that it feels good to type on. I felt it was a low-pitched clack-clack typing sound.

Overall Review

Like the NuPhy Air75 V3, the level of perfection is high!
You can get sufficient satisfaction right out of the box. Recommended (no-brainer)!

However, I am a modder... I feel like I'll get bored in about a week because there is little room for improvement. That was exactly the case with the NuPhy Air75 V3. I got bored in 2 days.I use the labor-intensive NuPhy Air60 V1 more, after all...

Considering the pros, cons, and level of perfection, I can recommend it to those who say 'I have no intention of mastering the functions! I love the atmosphere of the K3 HE!' and to gamers who say 'I need magnetic switches!'
Otherwise, it will definitely be a waste of money.
Just quietly buy the K3 Ultra or the K3 Max SE instead.
I wanted to be a He-Man, so I don't regret it, but since a polling rate of about 125Hz on Bluetooth is sufficient, I was originally the type of person who should have chosen the K3 Max SE.