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New Apple USB-C Magic Trackpad, Keyboard and Mouse Review
Mar 11, 2025
Reviews on Cult of Mac: Magic Trackpad: https://www.cultofmac.com/reviews/apple-magic-trackpad-review Magic Keyboard: https://www.cultofmac.com/reviews/apple-magic-keyboard-review Magic Mouse: https://www.cultofmac.com/reviews/apple-magic-mouse-review More Apple news: http://www.cultofmac.com Produced by Extra Ordinary for Cult of Mac Music composed by Will Davenport, arranged by D. Griffin Jones Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:13 Magic Trackpad 4:35 Magic Keyboard 10:42 Magic Mouse Follow us! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@cultofmac Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@cultofmac Instagram: https://instagram.com/cultofmac/ X: https://x.com/cultofmac
View Video Transcript
0:00
the brand new Apple Magic trackpad
0:02
keyboard and mouse are pretty much the
0:05
same as the ones before but now with a
0:08
USBC Port here's my
0:12
review let's start with the trackpad the
0:15
Apple Magic trackpad is truly oneof aind
0:19
it's perfectly smooth and frictionless
0:21
your fingertips don't feel like they're
0:23
being sanded down the longer you use it
0:26
Mac OS is easier to use with a trackpad
0:29
with its many G gures for navigation
0:31
swiping and zooming the trackpad isn't a
0:34
physically clicking button removing the
0:36
physical nature of the click enables
0:39
three great features you can click
0:41
anywhere on the surface with an equal
0:43
amount of force to click you don't have
0:45
to press harder towards the top or on
0:47
the outer edges there's a regular click
0:49
but you can also click harder for extra
0:52
functionality you can force click a link
0:54
in Safari to see a preview of the web
0:56
page Force click a word to see a
0:59
definition Force click a file in a
1:01
finder to rename it and so much more
1:04
Force touch trackpads also have haptic
1:07
feedback this means you can adjust the
1:09
force of a click you feel when you click
1:11
the button personally I have mine set to
1:14
the light setting it also means that
1:16
your trackpad can tap back when you're
1:19
dragging something on the finder or
1:21
something snaps to a guide you can feel
1:23
a little tap I haven't been a Mac User
1:26
for life I was saddled with a couple
1:28
crummy PC laptops before I could switch
1:31
to the Mac fulltime my broad impression
1:34
is that PC trackpads are a little better
1:37
these days but my God were they hot
1:40
garbage before a 2010 Sony voo I briefly
1:44
used added friction to the surface with
1:48
plastic Nubs it felt like it was
1:50
punishing you the magic Trackpad is the
1:52
cream of the crop the platonic ideal of
1:56
a trackpad the design of the USBC magic
1:59
Trackpad is unchanged from the lightning
2:01
version before but compared to the old
2:03
ablea powered version It's flatter and
2:06
significantly wider I don't mind the
2:08
shallow angle as much as I thought I
2:10
would I got used to that within a day
2:13
but the increased width is barely under
2:16
the limit of being too wide I often find
2:19
myself adjusting the position of the
2:21
trackpad on my desk as I fidget
2:23
throughout the day and I move it by
2:25
pinching my thumb in pinky it's now so
2:27
wide that I have to really stretch my
2:30
fingers out to get a solid grip on all
2:33
of these accessories the materials all
2:35
feel Immaculate the fit and finish is
2:38
seamless even the onoff switch is
2:41
beautifully machined with a fantastic
2:44
click to it pairing them with a Mac is
2:46
easy just turn it on and briefly plug it
2:48
in and you can plug them in with the
2:50
nice braided color matching USBC cable
2:53
they come with and ditch the lightning
2:54
cable from your desk I do wish it came
2:57
in a neutral silver color rather than
2:59
black or white I picked black because I
3:02
felt like it would better fit the
3:04
various black peripherals on my desk but
3:07
I find my eye keeps getting drawn into
3:09
the big black void it leaves on my desk
3:12
surface the magic Trackpad is the best
3:15
way to use a Mac Bar None it might take
3:18
some getting used to if you're a
3:19
lifelong Mouse user but once you switch
3:22
you will not go back there is one
3:24
downside and this is true of all three
3:27
of the magic accessories I was hoping
3:29
that when they were updated they would
3:31
get Multi-Device pairing airpods use
3:34
intelligent pairing they can effectively
3:36
stay paired to all your devices at once
3:39
so that switching between your iPhone
3:41
iPad Mac and Apple watch is seamless if
3:44
you have multiple Macs sharing one desk
3:47
you might not want two mice two
3:49
keyboards or two trackpads it can get
3:51
confusing and crowded but alas all of
3:54
these peripherals use plain Bluetooth
3:57
and don't take advantage of Apple's
3:59
technology elsewhere Apple's answer to
4:01
that need is universal control which
4:03
lets one trackpad control multiple
4:06
devices even a Mac and iPad but that's
4:08
only true if the devices are physically
4:11
next to each other and on the same Apple
4:14
account if you have a work laptop and a
4:16
personal laptop or one of the Mac is
4:18
signed into a different user it won't
4:21
work continuity isn't true Multi-Device
4:24
pairing your trackpad only stays paired
4:27
to one Mac that acts as a relay if you
4:30
take that Mac away it won't
4:32
automatically connect to the other one
4:35
now let's move on to the magic keyboard
4:37
the magic keyboard is a chameleon it
4:39
perfectly matches the dimensions of the
4:41
magic Trackpad you have Sitting nearby
4:43
the black looks exactly the same even
4:46
though the key caps are plastic and the
4:47
trackpad is glass with an iMac it comes
4:50
in six color-coordinated Hues that match
4:53
the color computer you get the type face
4:55
is San Francisco the system font used on
4:58
all Apple platforms since 2015 it's a
5:01
beautiful font that's highly legible the
5:04
symbols and icons on the modifier keys
5:06
and function keys are gorgeous as well
5:09
the optional Touch ID key makes signing
5:11
into your Mac autofilling a password or
5:14
authenticating with a pass key and
5:16
buying products with Apple pay so much
5:18
easier just hold your finger on the key
5:21
or you can click it if you prefer and
5:23
it'll instantly authenticate you can
5:25
also click the button at any time to
5:27
instantly lock your Mac much faster than
5:30
the command control Q keyboard
5:33
combination the touch ID key also has a
5:35
different switch than the other keys so
5:37
you won't accidentally press it it's
5:39
much harder to press without Touch ID
5:42
you have a lock key instead which is
5:45
certainly more useful in 2024 than the
5:48
CD eject key that was there before you
5:50
can also pair your Mac with an Apple
5:52
Watch to get all the same features but
5:55
the interface is much less elegant it's
5:58
much easier pressing your finger against
6:00
a specific key where your hands already
6:03
are then it is reaching over and double
6:06
clicking the Apple watch side button the
6:08
mix of whether Touch ID is available in
6:11
which colors in which sizes is a little
6:14
confusing the compact model comes both
6:17
with and without Touch ID but only in
6:19
white and if ordered with an iMac one of
6:22
six accent colors the full-size model
6:25
only has Touch ID available on the black
6:28
color and the black color costs $220
6:32
extra now let's talk about the keys as
6:35
the snood of mechanical keyboard snobs
6:39
I'm no longer impressed by the typing
6:41
feeling of the magic keyboard it's one
6:43
of the very best as far as laptop style
6:46
membrane keyboards go the keys are very
6:48
stable and don't wobble there's a
6:51
reasonably sized gap between each key
6:53
there's a noticeable click feeling with
6:55
a quiet but audible sound with every key
6:57
press it's nothing you aren't used to
6:59
too and nothing that will surprise you
7:01
but I still found myself making more
7:03
typos the keys aren't curved so unless
7:06
your fingers hit the very edge of the
7:08
key you don't know how close to the
7:10
center you're hitting I like a keyboard
7:12
with more travel where the keys have to
7:14
be pressed down further to register
7:16
people say that only a bad worker blames
7:19
their tools and it's generally true that
7:21
sharper knives won't make you a better
7:23
cook an expensive gaming chair won't
7:25
make you a better gamer racing gloves
7:27
won't make you a better driver
7:30
but as someone with a tested typing
7:32
speed of 83 words per minute blind I can
7:36
confidently say that a bad keyboard
7:39
absolutely will hold you back as I
7:42
mentioned it comes in two sizes the
7:45
compact layout will save space on your
7:47
desk I don't need a full number pad I'm
7:51
not an accountant and I like having a
7:53
shorter distance between the keyboard
7:55
and trackpad the biggest downside is the
7:58
arrow keys the left and right keys are
8:00
the same height as the combined up and
8:02
down keys so it's hard to identify them
8:05
by feel Apple uses the same compact
8:08
keyboard layout on the MacBook Pro
8:11
except as of 2021 they switched back to
8:14
the standard inverted T Arrow key layout
8:17
I don't know why the desktop model gets
8:20
short shifted here especially because on
8:22
the colorful keyboard for the iMac it
8:24
would be nice if you had a little square
8:26
where the color shined through
8:27
unfortunately you don't have physical
8:29
keys for page up page down home end and
8:33
forward delete you can use option up
8:36
option down command up command down and
8:39
function delete to get the same
8:40
functionality back but it's not as fast
8:43
or easy my ideal compact keyboard layout
8:47
has fullsize arrow and navigation keys
8:49
but without the number pad among
8:51
keyboard enthusiasts this is known as
8:53
the 10 keyless or 87% layout the full
8:57
size layout is a more standard keyboard
8:59
layout you have command option and
9:01
control on both sides of the keyboard
9:04
arranged in that order symmetrically
9:06
going out from the space bar it doesn't
9:08
waste any space on those pointless PC
9:11
Keys insert CIS Rec scroll lock pause
9:14
break instead you have a context menu
9:17
key this was previously the function key
9:20
but that's been moved to the bottom left
9:22
like on the MacBook keyboard I'm not
9:23
sure how useful a context menu key is
9:26
but at least I know what it does the
9:28
other keys f13 through f19 are blank you
9:32
can assign your own actions to them if
9:34
you dig through system settings the
9:36
giant surface area it occupies on your
9:38
desk makes you think it should be
9:40
heavier than it actually is although
9:42
it's made out of metal I don't think
9:44
it's artificially weighted at all I've
9:46
used plenty of smaller more compact
9:49
plastic keyboards that are over twice as
9:52
heavy it's really nice personally I'm
9:54
not going to keep using the Apple magic
9:56
keyboard I don't think it's nice enough
9:58
to justify the high pro
10:00
and none of the models match exactly
10:01
what I want but because I don't think
10:04
apple is going to make a black 10
10:06
keyless keyboard and because I don't
10:09
really like membrane keyboards anyway
10:11
what I really wish for is a solution for
10:14
those of us who like third party
10:15
keyboards but still want Touch ID in my
10:19
dream scenario Apple would add a touch
10:21
ID ring to the magic Trackpad so I could
10:25
still use my preferred keyboard and
10:27
trackpad with the benefits of touch ID
10:30
it would be right there underneath my
10:32
fingertips for me to press at any moment
10:35
and it wouldn't really take up any space
10:37
it's not like I gesture all the way up
10:39
to the extreme upper right corner
10:41
anyways but now last and least let's
10:44
talk about the Magic Mouse the Apple
10:46
Magic Mouse is one of the few products
10:48
in the industry that blends a smooth
10:50
multi-touch capacitive surface a mini
10:53
trackpad onto a mouse no scroll wheel or
10:56
scroll ball it uses the same gesture
10:59
you're used to on your iPhone the
11:01
surface is perfectly smooth frictionless
11:03
glass which makes the gestures feel
11:05
effortless just like the trackpad the
11:08
capacitive area extends all the way down
11:10
the body of the mouse just to the Apple
11:12
logo flick up down left and right to
11:16
scroll swipe left and right to go
11:18
forward and back and Safari your photos
11:21
use two fingers and you can swipe
11:23
between full screen apps click with one
11:25
finger in the corner to rightclick it's
11:28
really something unique a few others in
11:30
the PC industry have tried but none of
11:33
these products are still for sale today
11:35
the PC world has not latched on to the
11:38
concept which is why it's so
11:41
disappointing that the Magic Mouse isn't
11:44
a very nice Mouse if you like the idea
11:47
but don't like a few things about it you
11:50
have no other Alternatives there is no
11:54
version of The Magic Mouse that's more
11:56
comfortable for larger hands or more
11:58
premium or more cheap the design reminds
12:01
me of a surfboard which perhaps exposes
12:04
me as a tech blogger from Ohio who
12:06
doesn't know much about surfing it's
12:08
totally symmetrical and not even an inch
12:11
tall there are a few things about it
12:13
that I do like the black finish looks
12:15
totally Pitch Black from the top down
12:18
but as you look at it from the side it
12:20
turns clear despite taking two levels of
12:22
physics in college I suddenly realize I
12:25
have very little concept of what
12:27
actually makes the black black glass
12:30
black is there something underneath
12:33
that's black is it dyed black like a
12:36
stained glass window in a
12:38
cathedral I don't know the black color
12:41
highlights the glossy mirrorlike finish
12:44
in a way the other colors don't unlike
12:46
the magic Trackpad which has a matte
12:48
finish it doesn't look like a void on
12:50
your desk the clickiness of a mouse is
12:52
one of its most important qualities it's
12:55
something you do hundreds if not
12:57
thousands of times a day and the clicky
13:00
feeling is unchanged from the version
13:02
before it is still Immaculate the
13:05
distance the force the feeling the sound
13:09
is all perfect my previous experience
13:12
with the magic mouse was the older
13:14
battery powered version which had a thin
13:16
metal plate on the bottom that was
13:18
removable to replace the batteries by
13:21
comparison the bottom of this Mouse
13:23
looks much cleaner it looks and feels
13:25
more solid and singular as an object but
13:28
now now we have to talk about ergonomics
13:31
the 2016 to 2020 MacBook Pro was rightly
13:35
derided for failing to understand its
13:38
users the MacBook Air logic of thinness
13:41
and simplicity was applied at all costs
13:44
to a computer that demanded power and
13:47
ports in a similar way the Magic Mouse
13:50
is rightly derided for failing to
13:52
understand its users specifically their
13:56
hands it's just not comfortable
13:59
scrolling works best if you only scroll
14:02
with one finger you can keep raising
14:05
your middle finger to hover it over the
14:07
surface but that gets tiring my middle
14:10
finger tends to wrap around the edge
14:13
alongside my ring and pinky fingers but
14:16
then it gets really crowded again
14:19
because the mouse is so small because
14:21
it's so short my fingers are constantly
14:23
rubbing against the desk especially when
14:26
I pick it up to adjust its position you
14:28
can literally fit a second Magic Mouse
14:31
in the gap between my hand and the mouse
14:36
my favorite Apple Mouse of all time is
14:38
the ADB Mouse 2 from the 9s its teardrop
14:42
shape slips perfectly under my wrist it
14:45
too has the philosophy that the entire
14:48
Mouse should be clickable the top 40% is
14:51
a button I would really love to see a
14:53
Magic Mouse take a que here it's also
14:56
disappointing that it's so far behind
14:58
the magic track backpad it still doesn't
15:00
have Force touch it still doesn't have
15:02
haptic feedback and the Litany of
15:04
benefits those provide and it still
15:06
doesn't have three-finger gestures now
15:09
I'm sure you're all waiting to hear me
15:10
talk about this so here goes the bad
15:13
ergonomics and the lack of modern
15:15
features are justifiable knocks against
15:18
the Magic Mouse the port on the bottom
15:21
is not the battery life is insane you
15:24
rarely need to charge it and when the
15:26
battery is running low you get not one
15:29
but two notifications on your Mac that
15:32
it's time to charge your mouse you can
15:34
work until the end of the day and then
15:36
plug it in whenever is convenient and if
15:39
you do miss both of those notifications
15:41
and run your mouse completely dry only a
15:44
few minutes gives you enough charge for
15:47
another full work day but why is it
15:50
there in the first place because if it
15:52
was on the front there would be a big
15:54
Square wart and it would ruin the
15:56
symmetry of the design that's not a
15:59
trade-off apple is willing to make for
16:00
something that isn't actually a problem
16:03
worse than the reality of the port being
16:05
on the bottom is the simple fact that
16:07
it's a punching bag for social media
16:10
except I only ever see it going viral
16:12
among the people who would never even
16:14
consider buying a magic mouse in the
16:16
first place much less a Mac and at least
16:20
the infamous port on the bottom is now
16:21
USBC instead of lightning and that's a
16:24
welcome convenience so should you buy a
16:26
Magic Mouse well if you really want a
16:28
multi-touch capacitive scrolling Mouse
16:31
then yes but I implore you to try out
16:34
the magic Trackpad it's a little more
16:36
expensive it might take getting used to
16:38
but it is so much more worth it and that
16:41
is my review of the new magic
16:43
accessories be sure to check out my
16:44
reviews of the new M4 Max remember to
16:47
like And subscribe I'm deerin Jones with
16:50
Cult of Mac
16:52
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