An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that was launched in March for a Physical Keyboard Mod for the Moto Z lineup has now been successfully completed a few days before it’s scheduled to end. The newly funded Moto Mod aims to provide a slide-out physical keyboard for the device and has managed to raise more than $104,000 by over 900 backers as of this writing, somewhat more than its initial $100,000 goal.
London-based developer Liangchen Chen launched the campaign for its first Moto Mod earlier this year, boasting how the keyboard layout of its peripheral has been specifically designed with convenience and productivity in mind, featuring backlit keys, a separate row for numbers, and larger common keys. The accessory also provides users with quick access to a number of commonly used symbols, arrow keys, custom keys, shortcuts, and Android navigation buttons. The landscape keyboard slides out and can be tilted by up to 45 degrees, while its keys boast a slightly curved surface for extra comfort. Durability testing will be performed to ensure that the keys can withstand over 200,000 presses without issues, Chen said, adding that the sliding track of the gadget uses Teflon coating for smoothness and should be durable enough for over 100,000 slide actions. The UK-based developer already manufactured a prototype of the device since launching its campaign. The experimental version of the product can be seen in the image above, though the final version of the Moto Mod might be somewhat different if Chen manages to improve upon their initial vision.
Backers of the Indiegogo campaign still have a variety of funding options to choose from. For $60, the Super Early Bird package offers the Physical Keyboard Mod in black (retail price $120). Another Early Bird option for $80 is for the QWERTY keyboard in Gold, White, or Black colors. These will be shipped following the initial deliveries of the Super Early Bird units that are scheduled to be sent out in July. A Livermorium Starter Edition of the keyboard in a special color is also available to Indiegogo backers for two more days, though it requires a somewhat higher, $200 pledge. More details about the availability of the upcoming Physical Keyboard Mod for the Moto Z handset lineup should be available shortly.