How Apple can bring Magic back to its Mac accessories

Apple has gradually replaced products with Lightning connectors with USB-C. It started with the iPad Pro in 2018 and stopped, then the change really hit full swing after the European Union passed a law in 2022, with the most recent change happening with the AirPods Max.

However, Apple has persisted in updating the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad. Last year seemed like a good time to update them to USB-C, but that’s not the case. They still use Lightning ports for charging. Over time, the next update will need to have USB-C. With reports of a series of Mac announcements coming this month, it’s possible, even likely, that Apple will use this time to update its Mac keyboard, mouse, and trackpad with USB-C .

The hope, however, is that Apple doesn’t give its Magic devices similar treatment as the AirPods Max. All Apple did with its flagship headphones was offer new colors and switch the Lightning port to USB-C. Apple hasn’t responded to any criticism of the AirPods Max or even given it the same H2 chip as the AirPods Pro, showing no love for such a valuable product.

The upcoming introduction of the M4 Mac is a great opportunity to launch the next generation of Magic accessories; Apple is widely expected to announce a newly redesigned Mac mini and an updated iMac, in addition to the new MacBook Pros. A reimagined Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad would add even more excitement to the announcement.

A touch of magic

Since the Magic Keyboard was first released in 2015, Apple has updated it in 2021 to provide easy access to features like Touch ID, Sleep, Do Not Disturb, and other macOS features. A new Magic Keyboard USB-C is an opportunity to make drastic changes. A more ergonomic design or a well-designed wrist rest would be great. I’d also like to see it able to quickly switch between a Mac and an iPad, a feature found in many third-party keyboards.

I also want something controversial in the Magic Keyboard: the Touch Bar. Although Apple seems to have abandoned the largely unpopular Touch Bar, I think it still has some use. I use the Touch Bar on my MacBook Pro for quick access to writing suggestions, volume and music controls, and other features of supported apps.

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Foundry

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I’d love to see it return, perhaps revitalized to better incentivize developers to support it in their apps. The MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar has proven that it can be a fun and useful feature and there’s no reason why Apple can’t bring it back.

Point and click

The Magic Mouse was first released in 2009 and was the first desktop pointing device to support multi-touch technology. Apple designed the Magic Mouse to fit into the Mac ecosystem while making the most of macOS technology.

Since then, Apple has only made one major update to the Magic Mouse, moving from disposable batteries to a built-in Li-Po battery charged by a Lightning cable. One of the biggest criticisms of the device is that Apple placed the Lightning charging port on the bottom of the mouse. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible to continue using the Magic Mouse while it’s charging. (Though one minute of charging provides one hour of use.)

So if Apple is redesigning the Magic Mouse, it needs to do more than just update it for USB-C. Designers need to move the charging port to a location that will allow us to continue using the mouse even while it is charging. None of the other Magic accessories are left useless while charging, and Apple has no good excuse for doing so with the mouse.

IDG

IDG

IDG

It would also be great to see Force Touch technology find its way into the Magic Mouse, as it did on the Magic Trackpad. Critics have called for Apple to include Force Touch in the Magic Mouse since the release of the second-generation model, because Force Touch offers many additional features.

Write it down

The Magic Trackpad has received praise for almost everything except its price, and Apple is committed to bringing new capabilities and features to it. Now is the time to strengthen this commitment.

To start, the Magic Trackpad must be able to pair with multiple devices. Being able to use it with your Mac And your iPad would be a welcome improvement. Speaking of the iPad, I’d like to see the Magic Trackpad support another pointing device: the Apple Pencil.

That’s right, I want to see the Magic Trackpad work with the Apple Pencil. Sketching, writing and drawing on the trackpad would be amazing. Granted, the trackpad doesn’t offer as much surface area for drawing as the iPad, but there’s still plenty of room to better support your creativity and design projects.

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