The Air force strikes again
Everything is bigger in Air96, the ample-sized numpad, the massive foldable feet, and the 20% extra length to accommodate them all. With the new 1000Hz 2.4g chip on board Air96 V2, it is time to make it faster, and elevate your wireless and gaming experience to stratospheric heights.
DESIGN
‘Less is more’ has been our mantra when it comes to designing, yet it demands us to make each change made to evolve our designs count. While the top frame of Air96 retains its minimalistic look (with the exception of one more color choice-Basalt Black), the bottom case has gone through fundamental yet subtle changes. Thanks to the improved laser texturing process, the bottom case is now both more transparent and finer textured, rendering the interiors of Air96 clearly visible, and play into its overall aesthetics.
Inside Out. From the PCB to the battery, the internal components are colored to match your keyboard’s color theme, which together with the now wavy, ‘Ionic’ bottom furrows give off a layered, nuanced vibe. To top it off the light bars glasses are plated with thin layers of metal to enhance both its consistency with the overall look and durability.
Desktop experience with or without the desk. Desktop, laptop, or mountain top...the support of the large yet agile foldable feet, paired with Air96's great portability, give their users great liberties in choosing the place and style to work & play.
WIRELESS PERFORMANCE
Can thin & light go with extreme keyboard wireless performance and low latency? Tradition says no, but on Air96, our tradition is to challenge the limits of the 'yes' space. After supporting 4 devices simultaneously for the first time, we have made a huge leap in wireless performance by unlocking 1000Hz polling rate 2.4G connection. Through state of the art chips and attention to details that facilitate radio wave propagation, we have put the new Air96 in the ranks of 1000Hz pro-gaming keyboards in 2.4G speed.
Success in circuit lies. A 1000Hz polling rate may be eye-catching, yet actual latency depends on factors including MCU’s matrix scan rate, processing and debounce time, the wireless cache size etc. Never content with half measures, we support Nordic's state of the art NRF52810 SoC with STM32F072 MCU's high performance, and use an elaborate testing procedure to ensure minimized total trip delay.
Truth by numbers told. We did some benchmarks on the new Air96’s latency performance, against its predecessor and another QMK-based keyboard. Suffice to say, we are both blown away by the results and happy to end the myth that low profile keyboards are unfit for professional gaming and low latency applications, once and for all.
* The latency tests are conducted with a CMSIS-DAP compliant hardware debug unit, by measuring the time difference between when the Enter key switch is closed, and the key press event is registered on the PC, and subtracting the instrument 's intrinsic delay(provided by the producer) from the measurement. The test results do not account for the pre-travel delays of the key switches, which varies for different types of switches, as the swtich circuits are closed electronically during the tests.
FIRMWARE
As much as we pride ourselves in building innovations and our own ideas into our products, we will have to make an exception for firmwares: starting with the V2s, all Airs will be shipped with QMK/VIA. We believe with the full realization of our hardwares' potential under the new firmware, its open source code, the endless key remapping, light customization and other creative possibilities VIA offers our users, the fun has truly started!
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| Mac, Windows, Linux...you name it. VIA's key remapping and macro work seamlessly on all major desktop platforms, or any that supports a browser, make it even easier to customize Air96 to your heart's content. | Virtual side of a physical switch. The Win/Mac mode switch, an integral part of all NuPhy keyboards since the original Air96, is now fully integrated with VIA's layers to make it more extensible and customizable, with the same convenience. |
SYSTEM
Our OS-supporting and nativization effort also evolves to adapt to the conditions of QMK-based platforms. The dedicated 'Spotlight', 'Dictation', and 'Do Not Disturb' shortcuts available in the newest MacOS are now implemented through QMK, while the F-keys replacement keycap set expands to match the new functionalities. We will continue to find more ways, and shortcuts, including building new hardwares, to bring extra values to our users on the software side.
KEYCAPS
The crisp texts and vibrant colors on Air96's impressively thin double-shot PBT keycaps are as enduring as the keycaps' popularity, but that certainly shouldn't stop you from enjoying the fun and excitement in experimenting, mixing and matching with our extensive selection of double-shot themed keycaps.
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| Dye it up a notch. If you care as much about thockness as the look, you will love our collection of Dye-sub keycaps, which outside of their great sound quality, also has durable legends thanks to the sublimation process. | Get the backlight to the front. Our new set of low profile shine-through keycaps is here, to be enjoyed with a dark room, a cup of hot coffee, or maybe, some menacing monsters going at you. |
SOUND
Structure-borne sound engineering, increasingly recognized as vital to overall keyboard sound performance, is still almost unused among low profile keyboards outside of the original Air96. The new Air96 V2 makes strides in sound concentration and purity upon the original’s successful plate poron hollow-sound absorption and PCB IXPE sound purification solution, by placing an extra layer of PET sound pad between the poron foam and the switch pad. Additional attention is given to tune the spacebar in harmony with the rest of the keys, using silicone sound shaping tech derived from our acclaimed GhostBar.
NUPHY SWITCHES
Our floral lineup of low-profile switches have been met with growing enthusiasm since their launch with Air96 V1, and we have been busy experimenting with the secret recipe of ultra-long travel, high-precision mold, and pre-lubing, looking for ways to perfect it and give you more flavours. Taking a page from Gateron’s Baby Kangaroo, Moss is the first early bump tactile switch for low profile keyboards. If an extra spicy typing feel is your thing, Moss with its 16.5mm spring and only 0.6mm of bump distance shouldn’t be missed. Another change in the lineup is the revamped Daisy, now called Cowberry, whose pre-travel has been shortened to 1.2mm to enable rapid firing rate for gaming and all the non-gaming purposes that need it.
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GATERON SWITCHES
If you want to stick with your old, trusted red, blue, or brown colored friends, there is good news too. The veteran Gateron switches all got upgrades to the 3.2mm travel, high precision mold and enhanced pre-lubing in the new 2.0 version, for better tactile response and smoothness. The looks are also slightly modified to make them even more symbolic: the bottom casing now displays the true color of its PA66 material instead of being painted black.
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| Blue 2.0 (Clicky, 65gf) Pre-travel: 1.7±0.4mm / Total travel: 3.2±0.2mm Operating force: 65±15gf / End force: 60±5gf Stem: POM / Top: PC / Bottom: PA66 Spring: 13.5mm Double-stage Factory lubed |
Brown 2.0 (Tactile, 55gf) Pre-travel: 1.7±0.4mm / Total travel: 3.2±0.2mm Operating force: 55±15gf / End force: 60±5gf Stem: POM / Top: PC / Bottom: PA66 Spring: 13.5mm Double-stage Factory lubed |
HOT-SWAPPABLE
Each Air96 keyboard is hot-swappable, allowing you to easily replace or upgrade your switches without soldering and to enjoy a different typing experience free of restriction.
We also offer four bonus mechanical switches in the package. This enables different typing experiences as well as easy replacement of a damaged switch.
Light
Inspired by the early MacBook battery indicator which was hidden inside the case when inactive, we added two RGB light bars on each side of the Air96 aluminum frame. The left sidelight shows the caps lock and connection mode, while the right sidelight bar indicates the battery level and system mode. When you activate the gradient light effect, the sidelights will illuminate your keyboard with an arresting glow.
The VIA clients and configuration page available on multiple OSes, can be used to create a near infinity of personalized lighting and color effects, maximizing Air96's RGB potential.
To configure your Air96 with the official VIA configurator please follow the instructions here.
ACCESSORIES
All NuPhy keyboards are supported with a variety of accessories that are continuously upgraded. In the V3 refresh of NuFolio, the most venerable member of NuPhy accessories, we have adopted an entirely new design which boasts two magnets for stronger attachment and an optimized stand tilting angle, as well as a variant for Air96 for the first time. Adventurous Air96 owners now get to enjoy Nufolio’s versatility in all its leathery glory. Not to be left out is the Mono Wrist Rest, with two more choices of hardwood, walnut and black-painted white oak, ready to pamper your wrists and eyes with the elegant, poshy hardwood feel.
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1 x Air96 V2 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard |
1 x Keycap/Switch Puller |
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SPECIFICATION CONNECTION |
POWER AND BATTERY MATERIALS SIZE AND WEIGHT |
