Keychron has unveiled the Orca Echo, a 49-key split ergonomic keyboard designed for beginners and power users alike. The board features a moderate columnar stagger layout, a built-in trackball and roller under the right thumb, plus two touch-sensitive scroll pads positioned above the Caps key (left half) and B key (right half) for hands-free navigation.
A standout innovation is the new Nova socket, which sits partially inside the PCB to enable a lower-profile design than traditional MX, Gateron, or Kailh sockets. Magnets in the case bottom let the two halves snap together for travel, while fold-out feet provide tenting for wrist comfort.
The Orca Echo ships with a proprietary Keychron switch using a pin layout similar to Gateron Low-Profile 3.0, making it incompatible with Milk POM switches but supporting both low-profile and full-height MX stems — though switching profiles requires a plate swap, similar to the NuPhy Kick75.
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing