Apple may soon be launching new versions of its infamous Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard, according to some code found in the iOS 18.1 release candidate (via MacRumors). It’s about time.
This code refers to Magic Keyboard versions with and without Touch ID. We don’t have much information about the rest of these devices’ capabilities, but we do at least know that they’ve all switched to Type-C charging in accordance with the EU’s new mandate. MacRumors predicts that three releases will be released in October along with the upcoming M4 Mac lineup.
Apple’s Magic peripherals have consistently received harsh criticism over the years. This mouse has an incredibly unintuitive design, with the Lighting port located on the bottom of everything. This obviously makes charging a hassle, and it’s unreasonable to not be able to use it while charging.
Personally, my least favorite feature of the trackpad is the lack of travel. The buttons are ridiculously shallow and the pressing feeling is never satisfying. I use my MacBook Air only for reading and writing, and I can’t imagine how much of a pain this trackpad would be for design and editing software. Like a trackpad, the Magic Keyboard’s keys have little travel and are far from snappy or clicky.
Various engineers have tried to make Magic Mouse more ergonomic and easier to use. To allow it to charge while in use, Matty Benedetto, the man behind the famous YouTube channel Unnecessary Inventions, once 3D printed a lifter on the back of the Magic Mouse 2 that rotates on a pair of metal ball bearings. . The lifter was supposed to allow the mouse to glide around the desk while connected to power. Unfortunately, it failed.
Another famous engineer, Ivan Kuleshov, said: The prototype he created for the X mouse. He first experimented with several different mouse enclosures and finally chose one that would allow him to charge the mouse while in use.
And let’s not forget Apple CEO Tim Cook’s hilarious clip from the 2024 Worldwide Developer Conference. After the conference, YouTuber Marquez Brownlee, commonly known as MKBHD, spoke one-on-one with the CEO and asked him about Magic Mouse, and this is what Cook had to say:
magic mouse. Hmm. It was another great moment. Hmm. People don’t think about it as much as they do about the Macbook Air or the iPad or whatever else you’d probably name. Hmm. But it was important to get the ergonomics right. Yeah.
