Gadget lovers everywhere were all a-twitter earlier this year when a variation of the OLED keyboard, conceived by Art Lebedev Studio, was announced that it would be entering production.  Then we found out that there were only three keys, it would cost $100 when pre-ordered, and its OLED lighting had a lifespan of only 5,000 hours.  Still, many people were not dissuaded and pre-ordered a Mini Three, with an expected ship date of May 15th. 

Well, there are oftentimes issues with new hardware, and it turns out that the Minis have been delayed . . . a bit . . . as in three months.  August 15th of this year is the new ship date for just about everywhere but Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Lithuania.  Those poor souls have to wait until September 1st, which is a bit strange since Art Lebedev Studio’s main office is located in Russia. 

What’s the cause of the delay?  Here’s a quick rundown straight from Art Lebedev Studio:
• Development and production have been relocated from continental China to Taiwan - a region that’s superior to China in terms of the electronics industry development.
• Components and materials of the highest quality produced in Taiwan and South Korea are used.  The development and production quality are supervised by Art Lebedev Studio specialists.
• OLED screens brightness control function has been added.
• Lifetime of OLED screens has grown to 8,000 hours of continuous use.
• Buttons’ lifetime is now 100,000 pushes.

So, for an extra few months worth of waiting, you get a longer lifespan, better quality, and an extra feature.  Not too bad, but now it’s time for the other shoe to drop. 

For those of you who thought that the pre-order price of $100 was way too much, then you’d better skip to the next article now.  Go on, you don’t want to look.  Okay, now that those with weak stomachs are gone, the new price for the same three buttons (albeit upgraded) is $160 USD.  Of course, people who ordered prior to the original deadline aren’t required to pay anything extra, and people who pre-order prior to the new deadline of August 1st only need pay approximately $121 USD.  This is a rare case where being an early adopter paid off . . . kinda.

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