Magic accessories: Now with USB-C – nothing else changes
Anyone hoping for a redesign of Apple's input devices will be disappointed. At least the tiresome Lightning cable is now a thing of the past.
USB-C accessories from Apple: The new is in the details.
(Image: Apple)
With the presentation of the new iMac M4 on Monday, Apple has now also tidied up its input devices in terms of USB-C, an innovation that observers had long expected. This means that accessories with Lightning have become a rarity. At the same time, however, there was no redesign. Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad have not changed visually or in terms of operation.
Magic Keyboard now only with USB-C
A look at the Apple Online Store shows the new models. The Magic Keyboard, Apple's wireless Bluetooth keyboard, now comes in three models with a USB-C socket instead of Lightning. The simplest version without Touch ID and numeric keypad costs 119 euros and is only available in white/silver. If you would like to have the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, you can get this model with USB-C connection for 169 euros. A Mac with Apple Silicon and macOS 11.4 or newer is required.
Finally, there is also a new Magic Keyboard with USB-C, Touch ID and numeric keypad in white and black. Apple charges 199 euros for the white version and a whopping 229 euros for the black one (because "professional"?). All new keyboards are supplied with a braided USB-C to USB-C cable and can of course, also be charged via USB-C. The wired Magic Keyboard with numeric keypad, which once cost 139 euros, is no longer available – it is listed as "sold out".
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Mice and trackpads
Apple's mice and trackpads are now also no longer equipped with Lightning, but with a USB-C connection. The new Magic Trackpad with USB-C is available in white and black for 139 and 169 euros respectively, while the new Magic Mouse with USB-C is also available in these two colors. There are also price differences here: White mice cost 85 euros, black 119 euros. The Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse also come with USB-C to USB-C charging cables.
Apple's legendary charging from the underside of the Magic Mouse has apparently not changed, although the company has so far only published images from above. So far, the mouse cannot be supplied with power while in use. Delivery of the new USB-C devices will begin in the coming days, and they should be in Apple stores and in customers' homes from next week. Apple recently upgraded the AirPods Max to USB-C in a very simple way, simply replacing the connector but not changing anything else about the hardware. The EU Commission had obliged hardware manufacturers to switch to USB-C to produce less charger waste.
(bsc)
