New USB-C input devices: Apple forces upgrade to Sequoia
You would think that new USB-C accessories would also work with an older macOS. This is not the case with Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard.
iMac M4 with new input devices: An update is due.
(Image: Apple)
One of the positive surprises of the last "Mac Week" with the announcement of the iMac M4, Mac mini M4 and MacBook Pro M4 is the fact that all of Apple's input devices are now available with USB-C as standard; the old, proprietary Lightning connector has finally had its day. This should lead to less cable clutter for many users, as the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard can now be charged via the widely used interface.
However, there is one problem, as first-time buyers of the products have been informed: Apple has not managed to make the USB-C devices fully compatible with older macOS versions. Anyone who needs all the functions – and that without any problems – must update to macOS 15.1 alias Sequoia. Even the beta version of macOS 15.2 intended for developers does not yet contain the necessary drivers.
Not Magic: Problems with all three new products
This can be found in the Macrumors forum, among other places. The error pattern is mixed. Anyone still using macOS 13 (Ventura) or 14 (Sonoma) as well as the aforementioned beta of macOS 15.2 Sequoia will be confronted with jerky scrolling on Magic Mouse, missing gestures on the Magic Trackpad (which is apparently interpreted as Magic Mouse) and function keys that do not work correctly. The Touch ID fingerprint function, which Apple has built into the more expensive Magic Keyboard variants, is also unusable.
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"I've tried it on both the MBP with Ventura 13.7 and the Studio with Sonoma 14.7.1 – and the trackpad appears as a mouse on both, so the trackpad gestures don't work at all. The function keys on the keyboard don't work properly either," writes one affected user. Apple forcing new versions for new hardware is not a new development, but this is very surprising for rather "simple" products such as keyboards, mice and trackpads.
It is often the case that professionals or business users in particular wait a little longer for a .0 release of macOS before installing it –, in this case macOS 15.2. If users have purchased the new peripherals, they are now forced to jump to macOS 15.1 now.
AirPods Max with USB-C: Not recognized correctly, but work
Apple had also previously equipped the AirPods Max with USB-C in September. These can also be used under macOS 14 without any problems, even if they are only recognized with an incorrect icon. This has only been corrected with macOS 15.
Apple acted conservatively with both the AirPods Max with USB-C and the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse with USB-C: although all products were converted from Lightning to USB-C, they were otherwise largely left technically unchanged – from the form factor to the range of functions. Before users purchase the new Magic products, they should check whether they want to switch directly to macOS 15.1 (or the final macOS 15.2, which will be released in the coming weeks and will contain the drivers).
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