Astrohaus will be shipping its cheapest Freewrite digital typewriter in January -Gudstory

The Freerite Alpha is the follow-up to the original $649 Freerite and 2020’s $499 portable Freerite Traveller. Like its predecessors, the Wi-Fi-enabled typewriter is free from distractions like web browsers and email to help you focus on writing. After your work is complete, the gadget wirelessly syncs documents with software services like Google Drive and Dropbox so you can edit and share your documents.

However, Alfa has removed the E Ink display in favor of a reflective monochromatic LCD screen, thereby reducing costs. It now comes with only one screen instead of two and – while about half the weight of the original – is heavier than the Traveller.

However, on the other hand, Astrohaus has promised that the Alpha should have a battery life of over 100 hours while continuing to support USB-C. Alfa also brings back the mechanical switches that were lacking in the Traveller, offering Kailah Choke V2 low-profile switches that are thinner than the Kailah Box Brown switches found in the original model. The new typewriter lets you move your cursor around the document in the same way as the Traveler does, the original model lacked this capability.

News of the Alpha’s shipping date comes after Astrohaus raised $446,742 through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign launched in 2022. The company began fulfilling orders earlier this year and gave early backers an $80 discount.