By: Aaron Lai
January 2, 2026
Happy New Year! Over the last Christmas holidays, I had a few gatherings with various groups and people. For one evening, we had a potluck and then sang karaoke. I am not always the most comfortable singing publicly because I forget lyrics, but since they are on a screen, it reduces some of my anxiety. Into the evening and during a slower love song, one guy who was known for being creepy with women went up to one of our friends and, in front of everyone, asked if she wanted to dance. This girl is engaged to her fiancé, yet he still decided she was a suitable candidate to ask to dance. Worse yet, her partner was not at the event either. It seemed like the whole room went silent and I felt my mouth drop open in shock. Before she could respond, another guy came up and asked to dance with him instead, which quickly broke the awkward situation. I have witnessed a few jaw-dropping moments in my life, but I still feel a slight shudder just thinking about it. It is rare we see things that leave you speechless or shocked. However, when Epomaker sent us the Split70, I was a bit shocked, albeit much more pleasantly. Split keyboards are not new, and Epomaker has shown their ability to create keyboards in atypical layouts like the Alice 66 or TH40. On the other hand, this is the first split keyboard we have reviewed at APH Networks, so I am curious. Will it leave me speechless for the right reasons, or will it just be an awkward experience? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review unit of the Split70 arrived from Epomaker's location in Shenzhen, China. Traveling with Yanwen, this large parcel traveled overseas to our APH Networks location here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was packaged in a white packing bag and sealed with multiple layers of orange tape. In addition to the Epomaker Split70, we also received three other keyboards, including the TH108 Pro, RT82, and Luma40. Unfortunately, the parcel went through a bumpy journey and several boxes were bruised.
The Epomaker Split70 comes in a clean retail container with a light blue background. The box is clear with the product name in big letters on the front. The descriptor of "71 Keys Split Layout Hot-swappable Tri-Mode RGB Mechanical Keyboard" is printed above the name, along with the fact there are 71 keys and a knob on the board. Other highlighted features include the split layout, hot-swappable support, three modes of connection, RGB backlights, and support for VIA. We will explore these features and more later in our review.
Before we continue, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer's website for your reading pleasure:
Technical Specifications
Brand: EPOMAKER
Model: Split70
LAYOUT: Ergonomic Keyboard, Split Keyboard, 70% Layout Mechanical Keyboard
Number of Keys: 71 Keys and 1 Knob
Battery: 3000mAh Rechargeable Battery
Battery Life: 11 hours of continued use with the backlight on, and 260 hours of use with the backlight off
Connectivity: 2.4Ghz Wireless, Bluetooth, and Cable Wired
Compatibility: Mac/WIN/Android
Keyboard Dimensions: 18.4+18.8cm in Length (left+right), 11.8cm in Width, and 4cm in Height
Case Material: ABS Plastic
Plate Material: PC Plastic
Flex-Cut: No Flex-Cut
Stabilizers: Plate-Mounted Stabilizer
Mounting Structure: Gasket-Mounted
Sound Dampening: 5 layers including Sandwiched Latex, IXPE Switch Pad, PET Sound-Enhancement Pad, Bottom Sponge and Bottom Silicone
Keycaps Profile: Cherry Profile
Keycaps Material: PBT Keycap
Keycaps Manufacturing Technique: Dye Sublimation
Hot swappable: Yes, the Split70 Keyboard is hot-swappable with mechanical switches
RGB Backlight: Yes, dynamic RGB Backlight with south-facing per-key LEDs
Polling Rate: 1000hz in USB and 2.4Ghz mode, and 125hz in Bluetooth mode.
Latency: 3ms in wired mode, 5ms in 2.4Ghz wireless mode, and 15ms in Bluetooth mode
Anti-Ghosting: Yes, Split70 Keyboard supports N-Key Rollover
Keyboard Weight: 890g
Front Height: 2.1cm
Typing Angle: about 7 degrees
Kick-Stand: No Kick-Stand
Inside the retail container, the Epomaker Split70 is stored in two translucent plastic bags The Split70 comes with some accessories, including a combination keycap and switch puller, three extra mechanical switches, several extra keycaps, a braided USB Type-C to Type-A cable, and a shorter braided USB Type-C to Type-C cable to attach the two sides together. A multilingual manual is also included to help users get started with the Split70.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
