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Apple Makes Magic Keyboard with Touch ID Available for Purchase

106 points| whitepoplar | 4 years ago |apple.com

143 comments

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[+] jsjohnst|4 years ago|reply
Really sucks that Apple doesn't offer this in Space Gray and discontinued all the Space Gray Magic accessories (keyboard/trackpad/mouse)...
[+] xuki|4 years ago|reply
Don't worry they'll be back with the "pro" line for an additional $50.
[+] rvanmil|4 years ago|reply
I quickly bought a space gray trackpad just after they discontinued them. Patiently waiting for them to release the space gray compact version of this new keyboard along with the new pro macs ;)
[+] outworlder|4 years ago|reply
Wait, those are already discontinued?

At this rate we'll need a killedbyapple.com page

[+] tomjen3|4 years ago|reply
That sucks. Though I don't know how much I give for their space grey - my M1 and iPad are both supposed to be space grey but they are not ever close to each other in color.
[+] adolph|4 years ago|reply
By the numbers, the secure enclave implementation is $50. I wonder if Logitech will get a shot at TouchID like the Crayon did for the Apple Pencil? I'd pay $50 to add it to my K380.

$99.00 Magic Keyboard - US English

$149.00 Magic Keyboard with Touch ID for Mac models with Apple silicon - US English

$129.00 Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad - US English

$179.00 Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad for Mac models with Apple silicon - US English

[+] codetrotter|4 years ago|reply
I’m honestly almost a little bit appalled by myself when I realize that I probably would be willing to pay an extra $50 to have a TouchID interface on my ErgoDox EZ Shine, just to save myself from having to reach over and extend my arm an extra half of a meter several times a day when I am stationed with my keyboard and external monitor, and my MacBook Pro that is connected to them sits out of reach over there where I keep it.
[+] reader_mode|4 years ago|reply
Logitech can't even connect to the laptop via BT before you are logged in, I doubt it will get this integration.
[+] grishka|4 years ago|reply
Someone will probably reverse engineer the protocol. And you'll be able to build your own keyboard with touch ID as long as it doesn't rely on each keyboard having a unique key that you can't read out of it. Which, knowing Apple, it probably does.
[+] pbreit|4 years ago|reply
Seems like a lot for a keyboard.
[+] carl_dr|4 years ago|reply
Only for Apple silicon Macs. Shame.
[+] codysoyland|4 years ago|reply
I was hoping they would return to the old-style (upside-down T shaped) arrow keys with smaller left/right keys.
[+] pbreit|4 years ago|reply
Agree. Easier to feel.

I wonder how they determine which to use? Seems like they switch back and forth.

[+] throwanem|4 years ago|reply
Not really on point, but perhaps worth noting that having had some wrist stiffness and pain lately, I tried a Magic Keyboard (not this one, the one with the numpad) as an intermediate step between my previous Majestouch 2 and Ergodox/Moonlander/Kinesis esoterica, and over the last few weeks it's actually been pretty good. I don't know if I'll stick with it indefinitely, but I'm glad I decided to give it a try; the low profile and short throw really do seem to make eight- and ten- and twelve-hour workdays significantly easier on my wrists.
[+] bluejekyll|4 years ago|reply
I concur with this. My experience with Apple’s short-throw low profile keyboards has been great. It reduces the angle of my wrist at the the keyboard. Yes, I’m sure it could be typing differently, but I find these to be the most comfortable for my typing style.

I’ve tried to find non-Apple brand with similar feel, but nothing has matched the quality or comfort.

[+] kpsuperplane|4 years ago|reply
Check out the K3 or K1 from Keychron; you get benefits of low profile with the tactility of a mechanical keyboard
[+] ArchOversight|4 years ago|reply
I would love just a TouchID button. I have an mechanical split keyboard (Ultimate Hacking Keyboard, I love it) and I reach over to my MacBook Pro to use TouchID, but having a button I could put on my desk would be great and would solve that problem.

I don't see Apple making it to be honest, but I would love it.

[+] kortilla|4 years ago|reply
They do make it, it just comes with a keyboard attached :)
[+] gumby|4 years ago|reply
Most of the time I’m able to use my watch instead of reaching over to the fingerprint sensor.
[+] zaphoyd|4 years ago|reply
Can anyone think of a reason why this peripheral still has a lightning port and a USB-C to lightning cable rather than a USB-C port and USB-C to USB-C cable?
[+] wodenokoto|4 years ago|reply
Apple peripherals use lightning, and Apple doesn’t seem to be willing to change that policy.

Main devices uses usb-c, so a lightning to usb-a cable, would not be appropriate.

[+] rnjesus|4 years ago|reply
we know from tear-downs that the previous magic keyboard uses the same charging IC as some other apple devices, so it’s likely something to do with using existing manufacturing processes to save on cost. that’s just a guess, though — it’s hard to say for sure without seeing someone dissect one of these (or knowing exactly how they’re made).
[+] floatingatoll|4 years ago|reply
Yes, because there’s no benefit to their business to invest time switching it to USB-C, and significant upsides to existing customers if they continue using Lightning.

What use case do you envision should be higher priority to Apple’s customers than being able to recharge their keyboard, trackpad, and phone from a single Lightning cable left plugged into their desktop computer’s USB port?

[+] gumby|4 years ago|reply
This is indeed inexplicable
[+] therealmarv|4 years ago|reply
Ah, the new "more round corners" Magic Trackpad is also available: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK2D3AM/A/magic-trackpad

If you don't know: The new (iMac) keyboard is more round on the corners and so is the trackpad.

[+] heavymark|4 years ago|reply
The original title mentions with Apple silicon. Wish that was here, since many only read the titles and easy to miss that this only works with new M1 Macs.
[+] buildbot|4 years ago|reply
I wonder how beefy the processor in this keyboard is - could be interesting to hack into.
[+] greyman|4 years ago|reply
Do you know if the key switches are the same as before, or if they were improved?
[+] rvanmil|4 years ago|reply
I was wondering about this too and so far haven’t found any reviews addressing this question. The only thing I found was this forum post[0] which implies the old and new magic keyboards feel the same (though the author thinks they feel like the butterfly keyboards, which I do not agree with having used all types of Apple keyboards except for this new one).

[0] https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/imac-magic-keyboard-fee...

[+] abhinav22|4 years ago|reply
This is awesome! Touch ID is a great feature, especially for computers (I am not sure how Face ID can ergonomically work for approving purchases as one is always staring at the screen - ie some sort of button press must be required, hence Touch ID is better as it avoids the Face ID step :)

Note that it appears for only Apple Silicon Macs (probably due to the security chip)

[+] tims33|4 years ago|reply
That keyboard with the ability to pair with multiple computers seamlessly would be the MX Keys killer for me.
[+] Andrew_nenakhov|4 years ago|reply
I wonder if keys in this keyboard can be rearranged to Dvorak layout?

I once bought to their keyboard with numpad only to discover that for some silly reason they rotated the keypress mechanism letters F and J by 90degrees. This, of course, made key rearrangement impossible.

[+] mvanbaak|4 years ago|reply
This is why I learned to type without looking at my keyboard. I'm also a dvorak user, and since it's almost impossible to get a macbook with dvorak layout, I invested the time to learn to touchtype. It will pay off, I promise you.

Also, the look on the face of some coworker/familymember/whoever that takes over your keyboard and they type gibberish is worth more then the two weeks of training.

My external keyboards now all have blank keycaps.

[+] neurostimulant|4 years ago|reply
I also used dvorak and rearranged my keyboards whenever I can, but some keyboards simply has several keys that can't be rearranged (e.g. the keys near the pointing stick on a thinkpad). In that case, I would rearrange whatever keys I can, and for those keys that can't be arranged I'll just slap some keyboard sticker (ideally one that matches the keyboard model so it's not noticeable).
[+] MikeKusold|4 years ago|reply
I would love a Bluetooth or usb TouchID only accessory. I mainly use my work laptop with an external monitor and keyboard, but I have to keep the laptop open to quickly access my password vault.
[+] germ|4 years ago|reply
Same, I have the keyboard sitting on a nearby shelf to my iMac for the TouchID feature. For anyone that uses some kind of keyboard a standalone TouchID device would be a godsend. :/
[+] krono|4 years ago|reply
You can set this up with some hardware tokens. I've done it in the past with a Yubikey.
[+] S_A_P|4 years ago|reply
Note- From what I can tell this is only for M1 powered apple computers. Ive an iMac Pro that I would be keen to use with this, but no space grey and intel chips mean I cant use this.
[+] wintermutestwin|4 years ago|reply
Why isn't there a version with the touchpad??
[+] mrweasel|4 years ago|reply
You can buy the touchpad seperately. Which makes sense, because you don’t know where it’s ergonomically correct to put it for individual users.

I place mine rather far to the left. Most right handed people won’t like that setup.

[+] Terretta|4 years ago|reply
Twelve South and other firms used to make gizmos to pair the then no-numpad version and trackpad so they'd work on your lap or as a Mac Mini living room media center accessory etc.

Was fantastic. Apple should MagSafe that jazz.

[+] sayhar|4 years ago|reply
I also wonder about this.
[+] ylhert|4 years ago|reply
I wonder if we'll ever see 3rd party support for Touch ID - it'd be amazing to have touch ID in a mechanical keyboard!
[+] sativallday|4 years ago|reply
I just need the Touch ID button from this, not the other aspects of the subpar typing experience.