I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard
Hi HN, today I’m revealing Altar II, an ultra-low profile (4.75mm) mechanical keyboard designed to replace your Magic Keyboard. It’s the keyboard I wish Apple made. Altar II has fully mechanical switches, plus a magnetically detachable dial, haptic feedback, a red backlight, and a native macOS companion app. I’m a heavy Mac user and I feel that Apple hasn’t given its keyboards the attention they deserve, in terms of hardware, software, and features, so I set out to try and change that. It was a massive undertaking and it has taken almost 2 years to get to this stage. One of the main…
I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard launched on August 6, 2026 with 306 votes, #80 of 23,274 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches.
In plain words
Altar II is an ultra-low profile mechanical keyboard designed as an alternative to Apple's Magic Keyboard. It features mechanical switches, a magnetically detachable dial, haptic feedback, red backlighting, and a macOS companion app. Built after two years of development, the keyboard prioritizes the hardware and software features the creator felt were missing from Apple's own offerings, with careful attention to battery life and component optimization within its compact 4.75mm frame.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Shockingly thin, fully mechanical. Altar II combines a superlative typing experience with an unbelievable design.
Shockingly thin, fully mechanical. Altar II combines a superlative typing experience with an unbelievable design. Amazing feel. Thanks to breakthrough engineering, Altar II houses a fully mechanical switch inside a tiny chassis. Durable design. Steel construction means an incredibly durable mechanism with long operating life. Vertical challenge. A preloaded tension spring arranged laterally rather than vertically enables a vertical travel depth of just 1.8mm. Intuitive. Twist for volume adjustment, single click for play/pause, double click for skip, triple for back. Press and hold for Siri. Detachable. M-Dial ™ snaps off quickly and easily for travelling or stowing Altar II away. Swappable.…from electronicmaterialsoffice.com
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN, today I’m revealing Altar II, an ultra-low profile (4.75mm) mechanical keyboard designed to replace your Magic Keyboard. It’s the keyboard I wish Apple made. Altar II has fully mechanical switches, plus a magnetically detachable dial, haptic feedback, a red backlight, and a native macOS companion app. I’m a…
Pricing, as stated on its site
Paid from $249/mo — Altar II is a mechanical keyboard priced at $249 (reserve price, regular $349). One-time purchase model with no subscription or free tier.
checked September 2026 · prices change
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I made a 5-key keyboard2021 · stavros.io · ▲221
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