I wonder why they’re using Gateron switches rather than Cherry ones? Is it just about cutting costs, or is there a solid technical reason for using clones rather than the originals?
Demand most likely. Lots of people think the clones like gateron are superior to cherries.
Gateron are in no way inferior to Cherry. They struggle with the knock-off branding but have made some pretty popular switches in the past 5 years.
I love Gateron Oranges. I've had both Cherry Browns and the Gateron Browns, and I actually prefer the Gaterons. I couldn't give you a quantitative answer, but I swapped them into the same hot-swappable keyboard and I liked the Gaterons. I found the Orange Gaterons, and I am sticking with them.