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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 28, 2026

Apos OLKB Preonic vs Jamesdonkey R2

Get the Apos OLKB Preonic for qmk. Get the Jamesdonkey R2 for hot-swappable.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Apos OLKB Preonic

QMK

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.

Get the

Jamesdonkey R2

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 30% of 100% boards under $150.

What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

Apos OLKB Preonic

Jamesdonkey R2

  • Connection

    Wired

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Hot-swappable

    No

    Yes

    Switch changes without soldering

  • Ergonomics

    Ortholinear

    Standard

  • Case material

    Acrylic, Aluminum

    Aluminum

  • QMK

    Yes

    No

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Apos OLKB Preonic
  • Jamesdonkey R2
Performance
61
57
Build quality
68
65
Productivity
56
88
Customizability
74
82
Portability
40
65

What they share

  • Knob
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Apos OLKB Preonic vs Jamesdonkey R2 specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

11 of 22 specs differ

Apos OLKB Preonic

Jamesdonkey R2

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Clicky

Hot-swappable

No
Yes

Mount style

—
Gasket Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

—
100%

Layout standard

Colemak
ANSI

Ergonomics

Ortholinear
Standard

Knob

Yes
Yes

Display

None
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Battery

Wired only
6,000 mAh

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Acrylic, Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

—
FR4

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Weight

—
2,205 g

Dimensions

—
45 x 401 x 146 mm

Backlight

RGB
RGB

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2023

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

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