News Logitech has an idea for a “forever mouse” that requires a subscription (UPDATED - Logitech says just an idea)

[The Helper]

Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber recently discussed the possibility of one day selling a mouse that customers can use "forever." The executive said such a mouse isn't "necessarily super far away" and will rely on software updates, likely delivered through a subscription model.

Speaking on a July 29 episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Faber, who Logitech appointed as CEO in October, said that members of a "Logitech innovation center" showed her "a forever mouse" and compared it to a nice but not "super expensive" watch. She said:

... I’m not planning to throw that watch away ever. So why would I be throwing my mouse or my keyboard away if it’s a fantastic-quality, well-designed, software-enabled mouse? The forever mouse is one of the things that we’d like to get to.

The concept mouse that Faber examined was "a little heavier" than the typical mouse. But what drives its longevity potential for Logitech is the idea of constantly updated software and services.

To be clear, Logitech hasn't announced concrete plans to release such a product. But Faber seemed optimistic about the idea of a mouse that people never need to replace. The challenge, she admitted, is finding a business model that supports that idea without requiring an exorbitant hardware price. "Our stuff will have to change, but does the hardware have to change?" she asked. "I’m not so sure. We’ll have to obviously fix it and figure out what that business model is. We’re not at the forever mouse today, but I’m intrigued by the thought."

Logitech has an idea for a “forever mouse” that requires a subscription

Exec says mouse that requires a regular fee for software updates is possible.

arstechnica.com

 

[The Helper]

Now Logitech says the ‘forever mouse’ was just an idea

After Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber described a prototype mouse with upgrades you might pay for, the company says it’s not an actual product.

“There are no plans for a subscription mouse,” said Logitech communications head Nicole Kenyon in a statement provided to The Verge and other publications.

The statement came in response to immediate backlash over a concept described by Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber, who shared her company’s early concept of a “forever mouse” with Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel on the Decoder podcast. Faber described the potential mouse as a high-quality, software-enabled mouse that lasts as long as a good wristwatch.

“The forever mouse, I think, is one of the things that we’d like to get to,” said Faber at the time. The ensuing outcry around the idea that Logitech might be planning to make you pay monthly for a common computer peripheral was fierce.

Now, Kenyon writes in response to inaccurate reports about the interview, Logitech’s stance is that “the mouse mentioned is not an actual or planned product but a peek into provocative internal thinking on future possibilities for more sustainable consumer electronics.”

Logitech has ‘no plans’ for a subscription mouse

Many people did not like that idea.

www.theverge.com