Ergonomics The quality of construction of this Magic Keyboard is as often at Apple irreproachable. The anodized aluminum chassis gives it a high-end appearance and it is also very rigid despite its extreme thinness (barely 0.4 cm at the front and 1.1 cm at the rear). The slight tilt to the keyboard is really limited, but above all fixed, in the absence of retractable feet; the keyboard rests on 4 non-slip pads. Such thinness has at least the advantage of avoiding having to use a palm rest to raise your hands. The keyboard is ultra thin. With barely 369 g on the scale, it can be transported everywhere, even if its length is not suitable for all backpacks due to the presence of the numeric keypad. It is indeed 41.9 cm wide, which is quite standard for a full keyboard, but it is rather shallow (11.5 cm). The coating of the black keys is smooth and pleasant, but beware, it retains a lot fingerprints. The layout of the keys is quite classic for Mac and we will find at the level of the “F” function keys some interesting shortcuts; multimedia keys first, but also the very practical Spotlight search, a key to activate the concentration mode or even those dedicated to adjusting the brightness of the screen in particular. Between the F12 and F13 keys, Apple has slipped its Touch ID , its fingerprint reader which is used to unlock your computer quickly – the equivalent of Windows Hello –, but also to pass secure steps or to pay on the Apple Store or iTunes, for example, without having to type your password. pass. A useful feature, which is unfortunately reserved for computers equipped with an M1 chip. The Touch ID key is very practical. You can connect the keyboard via Bluetooth in a few clicks or connect it to your Mac using the supplied Lightning cable which also allows it to be recharged. That said, in 2022, we would like to have a USB-C socket, which has now become the standard connection. Note that unfortunately we cannot access the battery in the event of a problem.
Apple advertises a battery life of a month or more (depending on usage). A longevity allowed by the absence of backlighting. This is however present in some high-end competing keyboards such as the MX Keys from Logitech or the Pro Type Ultra from Razer. The keyboard is recharged using a Lightning cable. The Magic Keyboard can also be completely be connected to a PC. Just turn it on and it will be directly recognized by the computer in the Windows Bluetooth settings. Unless you are a fan of the keyboard design, this is obviously not recommended since the screen printing is different at Apple and many shortcuts simply do not work. Finally, to the right of the Lightning connection, there is an on/off button . Under the keyboard. The on/off button. enlarge Strong points Ultra-thin and light. Very neat construction. Convenient Touch ID. Good autonomy. Silent. Weaknesses Touch ID only compatible with M1. No multipoint connection. No backlight. Non-replaceable battery. Charging with Lightning cable only. Conclusion Overall rating How does the rating work? There is nothing wrong with the manufacturing quality of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, which is also a model of finesse and lightness. We appreciate the presence of a very practical Touch ID, but the keyboard suffers from a few shortcomings for a model that is placed in such a price segment. There is thus no backlighting, no multipoint connection, and the keyboard is difficult to use on a PC while the reverse is often easier. Ultimately, the Magic Keyboard Touch ID is a good choice if you need a fingerprint reader, otherwise other keyboards seem more versatile to us. Typing Ergonomics Sub-Notes