Three-and-half months after launching the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Apple is finally breaking it out from its iMac bundle. The accessory is now available as a standalone, through Apple Stores and the company’s site.
There are two versions: the standard and a longer model with a numeric keypad (pretty much what the company offers with all of its Magic Keyboards), running $149 and $179, respectively. There’s also a $99 version that keeps the new rounded, compact design, but drops the Touch ID in favor of a key that locks the system. But where’s the fun in that?
Image Credits: Apple
All of the models have keys devoted to Spotlight, Dictation, Do Not Disturb and Emoji (I ended up disabling the latter on mine, because I couldn’t avoid accidental presses ).
An important caveat in all of this: Touch ID only works on Macs running the M1 chip, which disqualifies a pretty massive chunk of the Macs currently on the market. If you do own one of those fancy new systems, the feature can be used for secure logins, purchases and the like. The limitation appears to be a result of Touch ID’s use of the Secure Enclave found on Apple’s new chip.
Image Credits: Apple
The keyboard includes a woven USB-C to Lightning cable, though Touch ID also works when the keyboard is connected wirelessly via Bluetooth. Also new are redesigned versions of the Magic Mouse and Trackpad, running $79 and $129 each.
