Foldable, mini PC-in-a-keyboard goes global on Kickstarter

In a nutshell: A Chinese technology startup is taking a different approach to foldables. Instead of a smartphone, Shanghai Shoujie Technology Co. has stuffed an entire PC into a foldable keyboard that's now up for consideration over on Kickstarter.

Lunar is a 2-in-1 foldable keyboard that doubles as a mini PC. It is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U CPU (eight cores, 16 threads) with a 3.3 GHz base clock that can boost up to 5.1 GHz. The chip is paired with up to 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory and your choice of a 512 GB or 1 TB solid state drive. The keyboard utilizes 1.2mm scissor-switch keys, and even features a miniature touch pad for use when you don't have a mouse handy.

The 59.2 Wh battery is rated for up to 10 hours of light office work. Other amenities include dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, a wired Gigabit Ethernet port, and a few USB ports (USB-A 3.0, Type-C 3.2, Type-C 4.0). You will need to supply your own display and mouse, of course. The foldable measures 153 mm x 110 mm x 30 mm and tips the scales at 800 g.

If this all sounds a bit familiar, you are not imagining things. Chinese company Linglong introduced what appears to be the exact same product over the summer. The only difference now is that it is being offered on Kickstarter to a global audience; before, it was limited to the Chinese market.

Backers have already pledged nearly $40,000 in support, smashing the initial goal of just $1,674 – and there is still 26 days to go. The entry-level, super early bird reward with 16 GB of memory and a 512 GB SSD will set you back around $580. A pledge of around $740 doubles the memory and storage to 32 GB and 1 TB, respectively. There is also a two-pack that includes one standard edition and one advanced model for $1,318. All variants are expected to ship in January 2025.