When Drop shut down its store in March, the Preonic stopped being something you could buy new. That has changed. The Preonic Rev 4 is open for pre-order at Apos, starting at $150 for the barebones kit, with an expected ship date of end of November 2026.
Where things stand
Updated August 14, 2026: the waitlist is gone. The Preonic Rev 4 is now open for pre-order, with a price, three case colors, keycap and switch options, and a ship estimate. Apos's note on the listing reads, in full: "This is a pre-order and the expected ship date for the Preonic kits is end of November 2026."
You are paying now and waiting roughly three months. Nothing on the listing is in stock today.
Pre-Order the Preonic Rev 4 at Apos
Price and options
The kit starts at $150 with no keycaps and no switches. Keycaps and switches are add-ons, and the case color doesn't change the price. These are the totals shown on the listing as of August 14, 2026:
| Configuration | Price |
|---|---|
| Kit only, no keycaps, no switches | $150.00 |
| Kit + keycaps | $170.00 |
| Kit + Gateron Yellow KS-3 Linear | $170.00 |
| Kit + TTC Silent Bluish White V2 Tactile | $185.00 |
| Kit + keycaps + Gateron Yellow | $190.00 |
| Kit + keycaps + TTC Silent Bluish White V2 | $205.00 |
The three option groups on the listing:
- Case Color: Black, Silver, Yellow
- Keycaps: Colemak, QWERTY, or None
- Switches and stabilizers: Gateron Yellow KS-3 Linear, TTC Silent Bluish White V2 Tactile, or None
A Colemak keycap option shipping from the retailer is unusual, and welcome if you already type Colemak and don't want to relegend a set.
The $150 barebones option is the one we hoped for when this was still an interest check. If you have a set of MX caps and a box of switches already, you're not paying for a second set you'll pull off and put in a drawer.
"What's included" on the listing still reads, in full, "Preonic Rev 4 keyboard kit." Apos doesn't spell out what the switch option covers beyond the group being labeled "Switches and stabilizers," and there's no stated keycap profile or material. If those matter to your build, ask before ordering.
Where we saw it first
This came onto our radar through r/olkb.
Why the Preonic
The Planck is the standard ortho layout: twelve columns, four rows. The Preonic is that same grid with a number row added on top.
That extra row is the whole reason to pick one. If you type numbers all day, which covers most coders, you get a dedicated row instead of holding a layer every time you need a digit. The footprint stays close to the Planck's, so you're not really giving up desk space for it, you're just getting a bit more utility out of the same slab. Ours has been in use for years for exactly that reason.
Ortho keyboards still take work to learn. The number row doesn't change that part.
How we got here
The last version most people bought was the Rev 3, sold through Drop. When Drop wound down its ecommerce operation on March 31st, the Planck and Preonic lost their retail channel. No restocks, and a lot of links pointing at product pages that stopped resolving. For a few months the answer to "where do I buy a Preonic" was "find a used one." We covered the alternatives at the time in our 2026 ortholinear buying guide.
What's new in the Rev 4
Apos and OLKB rebuilt the PCB from scratch. From the spec sheet:
- Complete 4-layer PCB redesign with hot-swap sockets
- Bottom row options for 2×2u, 1×2u, or a full grid
- Per-key RGB backlighting plus integrated RGB underglow, using smaller and more efficient LEDs
- Up to ten encoder positions, with better support for double-detent encoders
- RP2040 microcontroller, with SWD breakout pads exposed
- Enhanced ESD protection
- Universal USB daughterboard support and external RGB solder points
- Anodized CNC aluminum case included
- QMK
Ten encoder positions is a lot for a board this size. Most people will solder in one or two, but the PCB will take them for volume, scrolling, layer switching, and macros if you want more.
The SWD breakout pads are there for firmware development and debugging. If you've been meaning to get past VIA and write actual QMK, our configuration guide is a place to start.
USB daughterboard support matters for repairs. A broken USB port has ended a lot of custom boards, and a daughterboard can be swapped without retiring the whole PCB.
Apos credits the PCBA and case design to Sebastiaan Swinkels.
When we first covered this, Apos's spec table called the layout "Ortholinear 40%." That's been corrected. It now reads "Ortholinear 50%," which matches the 5×12 grid the rest of the page describes.
Who Apos is
Fair question if you've only ever bought keyboards from keyboard stores. Apos is an Oakland, California company that describes itself as "a company of enthusiasts on a mission to bridge the gap between designers, the community, and the world's best brands." They're an authorized retailer for audiophile equipment, desk accessories, and high-end enthusiast products.
What they put behind a purchase:
- Free shipping
- Lowest Price Guarantee
- Apos One-Year Transferable Warranty
- 45-day return policy
The warranty transfers with the keyboard rather than staying with whoever bought it, which is useful in a hobby where boards get resold constantly.
Apos 𝒙
The Preonic Rev 4 is running through Apos 𝒙, their community design platform. Designers pitch ideas, community members sign up to audition prototypes, and Apos supplies the resources to get a design produced. The waitlist the board sat on for months was part of that process, and the pre-order is the stage after it.
The Preonic suits the program. Jack Humbert built it, QMK grew up around it, and a good share of its life has been people modifying it.
Who should pre-order
If you specifically want a Preonic, this is the only way to buy a new one. The KPrepublic DNA59 and MechDIY 59 approximate the footprint, but the DNA59 doesn't run QMK and neither one is the same keyboard.
If you want something on your desk this month, don't pre-order. Shipping is estimated for end of November 2026, which is about three months out from now, and pre-order dates slip. The Chosfox x Masro Geonix Rev.2 ships today with wireless and an aluminum case for $112, and it's our top pick for people who came looking for a Planck.
On price, $150 for a barebones aluminum-case kit with a hot-swap PCB, per-key RGB, and an RP2040 running QMK is reasonable next to what else is in that bracket. The MechDIY 59 is $175 with an acrylic case and VIA. What the extra $40 or $55 buys you at the top of the range is not having to source caps and switches separately.
If you take the barebones kit, note that this is full-height MX, so the low-profile Chosfox sets won't fit. Start with the MX-compatible ortho sets on our keycaps page and check that whatever you pick covers a 1u bottom row.
Other Apos boards
Most of their keyboard catalog is standard-layout gear we don't cover. Two exceptions:
- Apos x Community 40% Micro: another Apos 𝒙 project, twin encoder knobs, QMK/VIA. Also an interest check with a waitlist and no price posted.
- ErgoDox 76 "Hot Dox" V2: Alpaca Keyboards' hot-swap ErgoDox, $169.99 down from $189.99. Also a pre-order, with a two month lead time and estimated shipping in September 2026, so it lands ahead of the Preonic. Switch and keycap options are on the listing. A column-staggered split if that's the direction you're headed. See our split ortho guide.
Browse What's In Stock at Apos
What happens next
End of November 2026 is Apos's estimate, not a commitment, and keyboard pre-orders slip regularly. Treat the date as a target. We'll update this post when boards start shipping or when the date moves.
