Mini-review: Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2
Macs get internal upgrades every year or so, and redesigns are common every three to four years. But it has been way longer than that since Apple last revisited the input devices it ships with its desktop Macs-the most recent, the Magic Trackpad, dates back to mid-2010. 2009's wireless multitouch Magic Mouse is a few months older than that, and the Apple Wireless Keyboard has been exactly the same (give or take some function keys) since 2007. It's past time for a change, if only because constantly swapping out AA batteries in 2015 feels like an anachronism.
Enter the new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2, the trio of input accessories that ship with Apple's refreshed 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs. All three pull Apple's input devices into the modern era: their internal li-ion batteries are rechargeable, and they've all been tweaked and upgraded to bring them more in line with other changes Apple has made since the turn of the decade. All three are fairly straightforward, but we'll give our impressions here separate from the main 4K iMac review for the benefit of anyone who is thinking about upgrading.
Compatibility, pairing, availability, and pricingIf you order one of the new iMacs, you'll get two of these peripherals in the box-the Magic Keyboard and your choice of either the Magic Mouse 2 or Magic Trackpad 2. The Magic Mouse is part of the base price, and switching to the trackpad will run you an extra $50. For all other Macs, including the Mac Mini and Mac Pro, they'll be available separately. The keyboard costs $99, the mouse costs $79, and the trackpad costs $129. The previous versions of all three accessories cost $69, so in some cases you're looking at a rather substantial price hike, presumably because of the rechargeable batteries and upgraded components. All of the accessories ship with a Lightning cable.
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