We're just a few days away from Apple's ‘Scary Fast’ event, where all signs point to the tech giant unveiling a new 3-nanometer M3 chip along with a slew of new Macs powered by the latest Apple silicon. But that's not all: Apple's likely to announce new versions of its Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad for Mac featuring USB-C ports, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week.
The October Apple event is set to kick off on October 30 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The showcase will be entirely virtual, unlike the in-person get-together we saw in September that gave us the new iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 models.
Gurman expects Apple to show off the revamped accessories alongside new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and an updated iMac sporting the "scary fest" M3 chip.
"As part of a broader shift to USB-C connectors, the company will likely roll out updated versions of accessories — including its trackpad, mouse and keyboard — that ditch the old Lightning ports," he said.
Apple has long been the outlier where charging cables are concerned, holding on to its proprietary Lightning cable even as other tech giants made the switch to more universal charging standards. But not even Apple can avoid the winds of change forever — the company made it official that starting with the iPhone 15, iPhones of the future will fall in line and feature a USB-C port. In part because its hand was forced by new EU regulations requiring all phone makers to adopt the USB-C port before the end of 2024.
Could the switch to USB-C fix the Magic Mouse's biggest design flaw?
The writing has long been on the wall for Apple's switch, but what's less clear is whether these revamped accessories will feature any other design changes beyond the new USB-C ports. The designs for Apple's trackpad, mouse, and keyboard have remained largely beyond minor revisions since their last major update in 2015. In recent years, we've seen new color options introduced with the 24-inch iMac, and Apple brought the Touch ID tech from its older iPhone models to the Magic Keyboard.
While USB-C charging for the Magic Mouse, one of the most popular devices among those who use the best MacBooks, would be a welcome update, there’s another design feature in desperate need of a revamp. If you use Apple’s mouse, you probably already know what I'm talking about considering the Magic Mouse’s biggest design flaw has become a meme at this point. For the Apple Magic Mouse to truly be one of the best mice, it needs to ditch the charging port on its underside.
That particular placement renders Apple's mouse useless when it's being charged, which is inconvenient as hell. It's unclear if the new version's design will place the USB-C port in a less frustrating location, but we have our fingers crossed that Apple may be fixing this headache once and for all with its switch from Lightning to USB-C.
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