Logitech to release K580 multi-device wireless keyboard for Chrome OS

As Chromebooks and Chrome OS tablets have become more popular, there’s been a higher demand for accessories that are specific to the keyboard layouts on these devices. Following the lead of Brydge and Belkin, Logitech is reportedly joining in the Chrome OS keyboard game with the yet-to-be-announced K580 keyboard.

Digging through Chromium source code, About Chromebooks discovered a new Chrome OS keyboard being developed, codenamed “Kata.” Looking at Kata’s listed USB Vendor ID, Logitech is apparently developing the device.

With that little bit of info, it was easy to cross-reference upcoming Logitech devices. Doing so, About Chromebooks found listings from the FCC and the Bluetooth SIG for the “Logitech Slim Multi-Device K580,” and a “Chrome OS Edition” for the same device.

While we don’t yet know what this Chrome OS accessory may look like, it’s likely safe to assume that it will be the next iteration on the Logitech K480 multi-device keyboard (seen below), which featured a handy phone/tablet stand at the back. Hopefully, this stand will be sufficient for Pixel Slate users to prop up their device, while managing to be more affordable than current keyboard options from Google and Brydge.

We also know that the Logitech K580 will feature the “new” top-row layout that debuted on the Pixelbook and can be seen on third-party keyboards like the Brydge C-Type.

If you’re wondering when Logitech’s first Chrome OS keyboard will release, there’s a few clues we can use to narrow the window beyond just “soon.” The FCC listing shows that Logitech requested a confidentiality period for documents that would reveal the keyboard prematurely, such as the user manual. This period ends on December 21, which should mean that Logitech will unveil this keyboard by the end of the year.

Additionally, the Chromium code that first revealed Logitech’s Chrome OS keyboard plans has not been finalized yet, let alone been rolled out to devices. If Google doesn’t expedite the code’s rollout to devices in any way, then Chromebooks won’t be ready for the Logitech K580 keyboard until Chrome OS version 78, which doesn’t release until late October. If that’s the case, we’d possibly be looking at a November or December release date for the Logitech K580.