The Freewrite Alpha is the successor to the original $649 Freewrite and the $499 portable Freewrite Traveler, which launched in 2020. Like its predecessor, the Wi-Fi-enabled typewriter lets you focus on writing without distractions like web browsers or email. Once complete, your gadget will wirelessly sync your documents with software services like Google Drive and Dropbox, allowing you to edit and share them.
However, the Alpha ditches the E Ink display in favor of a reflective monochrome LCD screen to keep costs down. It also has only one screen instead of two and weighs about half as much as the original, but is heavier than the Traveler.
But on the other hand, Astrohaus promises that the Alpha should have an even longer 100-hour battery life while continuing to support USB-C. The Alpha also brings back the mechanical switches that the Traveler lacked, offering Kailh Choc V2 low-profile switches that are slimmer than the original model’s Kailh Box Brown switches. The new typewriter also allows you to move the cursor around the document in the same way as the Traveler, a feature missing from the original model.
News of Alpha’s shipping date comes after Astrohaus raised $446,742 through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign launched in 2022. The company started processing orders earlier this year and offered early backers an $80 discount.