How Apple can bring the Magic back to its Mac accessories

Apple has been slowly switching products with Lightning connectors to USB-C. It started with the iPad Pro in 2018 and stalled, then the switch really got into full swing after the European Union passed a law in 2022, with the most recent switch happening with the AirPods Max.

However, Apple has been stubborn about updating the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad. Last year seemed like a good time to update them to USB-C, but they didn’t. They still use Lightning ports for charging. With time running out, the next update will need to have USB-C. With reports swirling that a series of Mac announcements is coming this month, it’s possible, even likely, that Apple will use that time to update its Mac keyboard, mouse, and trackpad with USB-C.

The hope, though, is that Apple doesn’t give its Magic devices an AirPods Max-like treatment. All Apple did to its flagship headphones was offer new colorways and switch the Lightning port to USB-C. Apple failed to address any criticisms of the AirPods Max or even give it the same H2 chip as the AirPods Pro, showing no love for such a high-value product.

The upcoming M4 Mac introduction is a prime opportunity to debut the next generation of the Magic accessories; it’s widely expected that Apple will announce a newly redesigned Mac mini and an iMac update, in addition to new MacBook Pros. A re-imagined Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad would add more excitement to the announcement.

A touch of Magic

Since the Magic Keyboard was first released in 2015, Apple updated it in 2021 to offer easy access to functions like Touch ID, Sleep, Do Not Disturb, and other macOS features. A new USB-C Magic Keyboard is an opportunity to make some drastic changes. A more ergonomic design or a well-designed palm 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 wish for something controversial in the Magic Keyboard: the Touch Bar. While Apple seems to have discontinued the largely unpopular Touch Bar, I believe it still has some usefulness. I use the Touch Bar on my MacBook Pro for quick access to writing suggestions, volume and music control, and other functions in supported apps.

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I would love to see it return, perhaps revitalized to better entice developers into supporting it in their apps. The MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar proved it could be a fun and useful feature and there’s no reason why Apple can’t revive it.

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 look like it fits into the Mac ecosystem while also making the most of macOS technology.

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

So, if Apple redesigns the Magic Mouse, it needs to do more than just update it for USB-C. The designers need to move the charging port to a location that will allow us to keep using the mouse even while it’s charging. None of the other Magic accessories are left useless while charging, and there’s no good excuse for Apple to have done that with the mouse.

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It would also be great to see Force Touch technology find its way into the Magic Mouse, as it has on the Magic Trackpad. Critics have been calling for Apple to include Force Touch in the Magic Mouse since the second-generation model came out because Force Touch offers so much additional functionality.

Write it down

The Magic Trackpad has received praise for almost everything but its price, and Apple has shown a commitment to give it new capabilities and features. Now is the time to reinforce that commitment.

For starters, the Magic Trackpad needs to be able to pair with more than one device. Being able to use it with your Mac and your iPad would be a welcome improvement. Speaking of the iPad, I’d love 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 support your creativity and design chops better.

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