Disassembly

Given the hot-swappable nature of the switches, it only made sense that I take one of the Akko CS Jelly White switches apart. This 3-pin mechanical switch employs the Cherry MX stem design, so we have the usual construction with the top, a crosspoint stem/slider, spring, and housing that also has the metal leaf for the actuation mechanism. The switch does not come pre-lubed for the keyboard package, but a pre-lubed option is separately available for purchase. This is clearly a linear switch with no bumps or protrusions along the path of the stem as it meets the metal contacts to initiate switch actuation. Note the longer spring here, which we saw in a few different Akko switches recently; it may scatter switch components around if you are not careful when taking these apart for any form of modding (lubing, filming, etc.).


Akko is using a typical two-piece plastic case construction, so only take this keyboard apart if you have no other recourse since you may well scratch or further damage the case. This process requires carefully prying apart the interlocking tabs; start at the bottom and work your way around the sides, after which it will get easier on the fourth side. To remove the bottom panel, you need to remove some specific keycaps to access eight Phillips head screws as seen above.


At this point, there are still two more internal cables to dislodge, and these connect components on the bottom case panel to the PCB. Dislodge both carefully, and do not be distracted by all that blue silicone! Once done, we can see that Akko filled the gap between the PCB and ABS plastic case panel with silicone rubber that's cut to shape, which will reduce typing reverberations. This is where some companies would go the route of a thin foam sheet instead, but hold on to that thought. Powering the wireless connectivity modes is a 3000 mAh battery, which is about average for keyboards of this size. There's certainly room for more, but hitting a certain price point must have played a role in their battery choice.


The use of hot-swappable switch sockets means that you may remove all the keycaps and switches to fully separate the steel plate from the PCB for modding the plate or replacing it with one of your own using different materials. What I found more interesting is the thick foam between the plate and PCB to dampen downstrokes, which is usually were we see silicone or nothing at all. This means the Akko 3098B has both silicone and foam sheets, but in swapped locations from the expected. They still work well enough, which is all that really matters. The PCB is black, and solder quality is decent enough for the various components, including the TTC hot-swap sockets and toggle switch from before. Akko is clearly banking on using this new platform for at least a couple of years, so much so that it has partnered with a USB microcontroller manufacturer to get its own branding on the chipset. This is a good way of hiding what's used, I suppose, and the lack of any dedicated hardware LED drivers means that USB controller does double duty by adding some bling to the keyboard courtesy simple lighting effects. This 3098B uses the Beken BK3632 dual-mode 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0 transceiver, while the Akko 3098N opts for a solution from Nordic Semiconductor instead. All the components, including the switch sockets, SMD RGB LEDs, and capacitors are soldered to a multi-layered PCB.

Before we move on, be advised that disassembly may void the warranty and that TechPowerUp is not liable for any damages incurred if you decide to go ahead and do so anyway.