What you need to know
- Last year, Microsoft announced the discontinuation of Microsoft-branded accessories to focus on its Surface brand.
- Onward Brands took over the mantle from Microsoft and is slated to continue the development of these accessories under a different brand name — Incase Designed by Microsoft.
- The company promises that the products will be of the same quality, and will now ship in Q4 of 2024, not Q2 as earlier communicated.
As you may know, Microsoft decided to pull the plug on its Microsoft-branded accessories, including keyboards, mice, and webcams. The move is part of its broader plan to focus on its Surface brand.
Earlier this year, we learned that Incase will continue to hold the mantle and manufacture the beloved Microsoft-branded accessories under a different brand name— Incase Designed by Microsoft
For context, Incase is affiliated with Onwards Brands, a company specializing in PC hardware accessories. Details regarding the availability of the Incase Designed by Microsoft branded products remained slim.
Incase had initially indicated that the new products would ship in Q2 of 2024 but has since pushed the launch to Q4 (via Beta News). However, the company didn’t provide an exact date for the launch.
Incase’s portfolio will feature 23 products, including the Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse, the Modern Mobile Mouse, and more. It will also include an ergonomic keyboard that was still in development before Microsoft discontinued the Microsoft-branded accessories.
Onwards Brands CEO, Charlie Tebele promised:
“The products will be the same products, but instead of saying Microsoft they’ll say Incase, designed by Microsoft.“
Incase will license designs from Microsoft and use the same manufacturing components and supply chain for the products. Microsoft continues to reserve the ownership of the Microsoft-branded accessories designs.
Microsoft’s decision to discontinue the development of Microsoft-branded accessories doesn’t mean it won’t develop accessories entirely. It plans to continue developing accessories but under its Surface brand. However, a major concern among users is that Surface-branded accessories are often costly compared to Microsoft-branded accessories.
