Angry Miao claims new gaming mouse offers ‘infinite battery’ — premium tri-mode mouse maker makes dubious claims

Angry Miao Infinity Mouse
(Image credit: Angry Miao)

Chinese PC gaming peripherals specialist Angry Miao (AM) is vigorously promoting its new Infinity Mouse on social media platforms. Its latest innovation is an ultra-light gaming mouse hewn from metal but weighing under 50g, with premium features and a headlining “infinite battery.” The tri-mode rodent is currently around halfway through a very successful Kickstarter campaign. However, a previously teased infinite battery explainer has missed its advertised Feb 26 reveal, and we will have to wait until March 10 for this important info. Is something amiss? We’ve had a nose around and think a better name for the AM Infinity Mouse would probably be the ‘AM Instant Charging Mouse.’

AM INFINITY MOUSE: Why we do this at the first place - YouTube AM INFINITY MOUSE: Why we do this at the first place - YouTube
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The AM Infinity Mouse’s extraordinary battery claim is right there in the name of the product. Thus, it is extremely important that it should live up to the expectations such a moniker brings.

AM’s Kickstarter project must surely credit at least part of its rip-roaring success (raised over $71,000 – many multiples of the initial goal) on this ever-enduring battery implication. However, the product summary near the top of the crowdfunder page includes an asterisk beside the “infinite battery life*” claim. Later, you can read that the asterisk warns, “*We are currently fine-tuning some critical features and will continue to share more final details as soon as they become available.” Fine-tuning might be understating the work required, as we are quite sure the finished product won’t come packing an “infinite battery,” unless you accept a very loose definition of such a concept.

Later on the crowdfunder page, a section about the battery in the AM Infinity Mouse reveals that the designers of this rodent were inspired by the current situation where users “dial down specs for longer battery life.” AM isn’t happy with that compromise, but we get the first hint here that the battery tech will eliminate “the constant worry of recharging.” The firm doesn’t repeat any infinite battery life blurb in this copy.

As mentioned in the intro, the Feb 26 reveal of the battery tech was a no-show, and now we’re looking at March 10. For those on tenterhooks, we might have some relief, though. In a Tweet on Friday, an animated GIF seems to give the (battery technology) game away. This new tease appears to indicate that the AM Infinity Mouse should more correctly be named the AM Instant Charging mouse. The tease says that the Infinity Mouse can be charged in just 1.2 seconds.

We might be a little disappointed with AM’s infinite battery marketing shenanigans, but instant charging sounds pretty cool, too, but with the caveat that is an equally questionable claim. However, the thought, attention to detail, and the rest of the mouse specs seem attractive. The mouse design is Lotus sports car inspired, features premium switches, and the PAW3950 sensor offers 8K polling. This is wrapped inside an ergonomically carved magnesium alloy design. Check out the top video for (English subtitled) details on the iterative design work behind the AM Infinity Mouse to find out what you should get for your $150 early bird pledge.

Remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product. Backing a crowdfunded project is akin to an investment; you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a retail product. Given the details (or lack thereof) surrounding this project, you should also remember that the end products can also end up not living up to the billing.

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Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

  • EzzyB
    Obviously we'll believe it when we see it. It did get me thinking though about how you could use the movement of the mouse generated by the human user to generate a trickle of electricity to .... hmmmm.
    Reply
  • Sluggotg
    EzzyB said:
    Obviously we'll believe it when we see it. It did get me thinking though about how you could use the movement of the mouse generated by the human user to generate a trickle of electricity to .... hmmmm.
    When I saw the headline, I was thinking the same thing. Can you get a significant amount of charging from the mouse movement? (maybe magnets in the mouse pad with coils in the bottom of the mouse?) You can obviously get some charge from that, (A current carrying conductor in a magnetic field with relative motion between them), but would it be significant? I would never invest in a product that had the line "infinite battery" because it is a lie. Zero trust there.
    Reply
  • Inveticus
    EzzyB said:
    Obviously we'll believe it when we see it. It did get me thinking though about how you could use the movement of the mouse generated by the human user to generate a trickle of electricity to .... hmmmm.
    You could add a ball underneath. That worked before.
    Reply
  • halfcharlie
    I already have infinite battery, it's called a cable lol. Never understood the appeal of a wireless mouse, there are zero benefits only compromises, unless you really hate cables in which case as a fan of late 90's early 00's cyberpunk aesthetic we can't be friends
    Reply
  • JohnyFin
    Stay away from this and also other "revolutionary" products.
    Reply
  • Dementoss
    If they try selling this mouse in the UK, with the "infinite battery" claim, the Advertising Standards Authority will slap that down, as long as someone reports it...
    Reply
  • AkroZ
    Like for old cars you need to go to a bodywork to finish it.

    EzzyB said:
    Obviously we'll believe it when we see it. It did get me thinking though about how you could use the movement of the mouse generated by the human user to generate a trickle of electricity to .... hmmmm.
    I also was thinking the same. I have a mechanical watch without electrical battery, instead it use a spring to store energy and it auto-charge with a spinner, the wrist movements make the spinner spin and it's stored in the spring so if you use it often then you don't need to charge it.
    Reply