Hear that “BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!” noise? That’s Logitech backing away from comments from its CEO, who floated the idea of a subscription-based “forever mouse” that would require a subscription fee to receive regular software updates. Logitech chief Hanneke Faber floated the idea of such a mouse during an appearance on The Verge‘s Decoder podcast with Nilay Patel.
“There are no plans for a subscription mouse,” said Logitech communications head Nicole Kenyon in a statement given to several media publications.
On the podcast, Faber discussed how the Logitech innovation center team in Ireland showed her a “forever mouse,” designed to be used for many years. The mouse is a “little heavier” than a standard mouse and it has “great software and services” that are constantly updated.
The other day, in Ireland, in our innovation center there, one of our team members showed me a forever mouse with the comparison to a watch. This is a nice watch, not a super expensive watch, but 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.
Faber said that there could also be a program offered where customers trade in their old mouse for a newer version, similar to what Apple does with its iPhone Upgrade Program.
Kenyon worked to downplay Faber’s comments, saying: “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.”