Logitech on Wednesday denied reports that the company is working on a "forever mouse" that could come with a subscription fee for regular software updates, after comments by its CEO suggesting it could introduce such a product in the future received immediate backlash.
"There are no plans for a subscription mouse," said Logitech communications head Nicole Kenyon in a statement given to several media publications. Kenyon was responding to reports based on comments made by Logitech chief Hanneke Faber on The Verge's Decoder podcast with Nilay Patel.
During the podcast, Faber said that the Logitech innovation center team in Ireland showed her a "forever mouse" that is designed to be used for many years. It's a "little heavier" than a standard mouse, and it has "great software and services" that get constantly updated.
Patel asked Faber if she could "envision a subscription mouse," to which she responded "possibly." Faber went on to explain that customers would "never have to worry about [their mice] again," which is similar to Logitech's video conferencing services.
When asked whether Logitech had some other model for monetization than subscription fees or advertising, Faber said no, and that she was "intrigued" by a forever mouse that has an accompanying business model around software updates.
Kenyon sought to downplay the comments, saying: "The mouse mentioned is not an actual or planned product but a peek into provocative internal thinking on future possibilities for more sustainable consumer electronics."
