Logitech’s CEO wants to charge people a monthly fee to let them use their mice

Logitech’s new CEO, Hanneke Faber, envisions a groundbreaking, but rather disturbing shift for the company with the introduction of a “Forever Mouse” — a durable, high-quality mouse that users would never need to replace but might have to take a monthly subscription for.

Faber discussed this concept on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, drawing a comparison to a high-end watch that remains functional and valuable indefinitely, sustained through regular software updates.

Faber emphasized that while the Forever Mouse remains a concept, it is not far from reality. The potential high cost of such a durable device might necessitate a subscription model to make it financially viable for the company.

According to Faber, the average mouse or keyboard costs around $26, presenting an opportunity for Logitech to develop a premium product that offers enhanced quality and longevity.

She acknowledged that the subscription model might be surprising to consumers but justified it by equating the Forever Mouse to a luxury item like a Rolex watch, which owners cherish and maintain.

However, it should be noted that as opposed to what Faber would like people to believe, luxury watchmakers like Rolex or Audemars Piguet, do not follow a subscription model. On the other hand, luxury carmakers, namely BMW, do charge a subscription fee for certain features like heated seats, top performance and speed, etc.

Logitech is known for its innovative hardware, and also recently announced a mouse featuring a built-in AI button that could be used to initiate tasks such as summarising a website, document, a selected piece of text, or even composing emails.

The Forever Mouse concept aligns with the growing trend of subscription-based business models extending into the tech industry.

For instance, much to the chagrin of its customers, HP introduced a subscription service in February, which charged customers about $6.99 a month to lease a printer and some ink, and to print 20 pages per month.

Similarly, companies like Ring and Google have recently increased prices for basic subscription plans for their smart devices. However, Logitech’s subscription-based hardware idea has met with some scepticism and humour on social media.

On Reddit’s r/hardware forum, users humorously speculated about potential limitations, likening it to HP’s printer plan, with one user joking about a scenario where exceeding a certain number of mouse movements would prompt an upgrade to a pro account.