You Still Can’t Use the New Magic Mouse While Charging—And That’s Exactly What Apple Wants

After nine years without updates, Apple has finally refreshed its Magic Mouse alongside the new M4 iMac, introducing a USB-C charging port instead of Lightning. However, the controversial charging port remains on the bottom of the mouse, making it unusable while charging.

Apple made the decision in 2015 and has generated complaints and mockery since then. By maintaining this design nearly a decade later, the company seems to emphasize that it’s not a flaw but a strong design principle.

Essentially, it’s like Apple is saying: “This is a wireless device, period.” The company doesn’t want users to connect the mouse with a cable, even for a brief moment. This uncompromising stance on user experience reflects Apple’s belief in what it thinks is right, regardless of user preferences.

Not the first time. The first Apple Pencil, released in 2015, had to be charged by sticking it out of the iPad like a makeshift antenna, creating an unappealing look. Although Apple included an adapter for charging it with a cable, most users opted for the more convenient, albeit awkward, solution: leaving the stylus protruding from the port.

The key difference with the Apple Pencil is that, if they wanted, users could use it while charging with the adapter. However, with the Magic Mouse, there are no alternatives.

Apple’s most devoted supporters, which are becoming fewer by the day, often argue that the Magic Mouse charges quickly, with just a few minutes of charging providing hours of use. It’s true. They also claim that relocating the charging port would disrupt the clean lines of the mouse’s design. Also true.

Yet, these justifications overlook a crucial point: Apple seems to prioritize the purity of its design concept over practical usability.

It’s almost as if Apple is saying, “If you want to use a wired mouse, even for just five minutes, you’ll need to purchase another mouse.” The Magic Mouse is wireless by definition, not by choice. This situation exemplifies how Apple sometimes pushes its vision of the future onto users by removing options instead of adding them.

Additionally, the shift to USB-C indicates that this isn’t an oversight or a temporary technical limitation. Rather, it’s a deliberate decision by Apple that the company intends to maintain indefinitely. For better or worse, users will continue to be unable to use the Magic Mouse while charging with a cable.

Is this bad? It depends on everyone’s viewpoint, but it clearly demonstrates how Apple’s renowned focus on design can sometimes turn into rigidity. Often, the best user experience comes from providing users with more choices, not less.

Image | Roberto Cerda

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