With the latest iPhones dropping the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, there was speculation (and hope) that Apple would release new versions of the Magic Mouse, Trackpad and Keyboard that also reject the Lightning port. Nope.
So charging these wireless devices still requires a Lightning cable.
Lightning just won’t go away
Before Monday’s “Scary Fast” event, a noted tipster claimed that Apple would use the event to bring out a keyboard, trackpad and mouse that charge via USB-C not Lightning. It made sense, as a new version of the 24-inch iMac was also on the agenda.
The updated all-in-one desktop is now up for pre-order, but its accessories are the same ones from years ago. The ones that charge via a Lightning port.
So new iMac buyers who have an iPhone 15 will need to keep a Lighting cable around to charge their Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad even though they have no other use for it.
But the clock is ticking on these accessories. EU law requires keyboards and mice to use USB-C by the end of 2024.
screenshot: Apple Store
No Magic Mouse USB-C redesign
With the mouse not getting an update, Apple missed another opportunity to fix one of its most … curious .. decisions: putting the charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse.
When the unconfirmed report of a USB-C update for this accessory came to light, there was speculation that Apple would take the opportunity to move the port so the wireless mouse could be used while it’s charging. Maybe someday.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
