Keyboards review
Apple Magic Keyboard Review: Fast, Silent, and Paired to One Machine
One lab measured 37 decibels and 91 words per minute on it. It also pairs with exactly one device, has no backlight, and cannot be tilted.
By Paulo GerchonPublished 2 min read
Illustration, not a photo — we don’t have a licensed image of this product yet.
Apple
Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad
Good · researched from 4 sources
The quietest and among the fastest keyboards we have measured, and the one with the fewest features. Buy it for Touch ID and silence on a single Mac, and buy almost anything else if you switch between machines.
- Buy if
- A single Apple Silicon Mac where Touch ID does real work · Shared offices, on the measured noise figure · Anyone who types quickly on low-travel keys
- Skip if
- Multi-device desks, since it pairs with one at a time · Dim rooms, given no backlight · Gaming, on the 2-key rollover
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
Two measurements that flatter it
TechGearLab put a meter next to it and recorded 37 decibels while typing, scoring that category 9.7 out of 10. Their fastest tester reached 91 words per minute with accuracy scored 9.6.
Both of those are excellent, and both come from the same design decision: a scissor switch with under a millimetre of travel and 62.06 gram force of actuation. Short travel means fast and quiet. It also means there is very little to feel.
For context from elsewhere in this catalogue, the MX Keys S measured 35 dB and the MX Mechanical produced the same 91 wpm from a different tester. This keyboard is competitive with both on the things that can be measured.
And the list of what it does not do
Pairs with one device at a time. TechGearLab lists it as a criticism and Cult of Mac says plainly it is unsuitable for switching between computers.
No backlight. The IT Nerd calls the omission unusual at the price.
No incline adjustment. The wedge is fixed.
Two-key rollover, so pressing three keys at once loses one, which TechGearLab notes rules out gaming.
Every Logitech keyboard we have covered does the first three. This one is more expensive than some of them.
Touch ID is the actual product
Unlock the Mac, autofill a password, approve a passkey, pay with Apple Pay, without typing anything. On a machine you use all day that removes a real friction, and the sensor requires deliberate force so you do not trigger it by accident.
It works only on Apple Silicon Macs, which all three sources confirm.
The IT Nerd raises the awkward alternative: an Apple Watch already unlocks a Mac automatically. If you own one, the headline feature is partly redundant, and what remains is a quiet keyboard with fewer features than its competitors.
The typing, honestly
Cult of Mac calls it among the best laptop-style membrane keyboards and then says they made more typos on it, blaming flat keycaps with no dish to guide a finger and insufficient travel.
That is a fair description of the trade. The MX Keys S uses spherically dished keycaps for exactly this reason and it is the one clear ergonomic advantage it has here.
If you already type happily on a MacBook, this will feel familiar and slightly better. If you do not, nothing about it will win you over.
How it scored
The overall 7.4 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Typing experience
TechGearLab scored typing 7.2, measured actuation at 62.06 gram force and recorded 91 words per minute from their fastest tester. Cult of Mac made more typos on the flat keycaps.
Value
Cult of Mac scored it 3 out of 5 and would not use it themselves. The IT Nerd recommends it only for Touch ID or deep Apple ecosystem use.
Build quality
Aluminium construction that The IT Nerd calls premium and Cult of Mac describes as lightweight despite its appearance.
Ease of use
TechGearLab notes it pairs with only one device at a time and has no backlight. The IT Nerd adds there is no incline adjustment.
Typing noise
TechGearLab measured 37 decibels while typing and scored the category 9.7, among the quietest keyboards they have tested.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- TechGearLab measured 37 dB typing noise and scored it 9.7 in that category
- Their fastest tester reached 91 words per minute, matching the MX Mechanical
- Touch ID handles Mac login, password autofill, passkeys and Apple Pay
- The IT Nerd got five to six weeks per charge against a stated one month
- Aluminium build that all three sources rate highly
What we didn’t
- It pairs with one device at a time, which TechGearLab lists as a criticism
- No backlight at all, which The IT Nerd calls unusual at this price
- No incline adjustment, so the wedge angle is what you get
- Touch ID works only on Apple Silicon Macs
- Cult of Mac found the flat, uncurved keycaps caused more typos
- TechGearLab notes 2-key rollover, so it is unsuitable for gaming
Specifications
| Switches | Scissor, low profile |
|---|---|
| Actuation force | 62.06 gram force per TechGearLab |
| Actuation distance | Under 1 mm per TechGearLab |
| Typing noise | 37 dB measured by TechGearLab |
| Battery | About 1 month stated; five to six weeks observed by The IT Nerd |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth plus wired; one Bluetooth device at a time |
| Rollover | 2-key per TechGearLab |
| Touch ID | Apple Silicon Macs only |
| Build | Aluminium |
How we researched this
We have not had this unit on the bench. This review synthesises the manufacturer’s published specifications, independent measurements and owner reports listed below. Every figure on this page comes from one of those sources rather than our own measurement.
4
sources reviewed
TechGearLab supplies the measured noise, actuation force and distance, the typing speed results and the category scores, and is the only source that measured anything. Cult of Mac contributed the typing impression and the multi-device criticism, and is the most negative at 3 out of 5. The IT Nerd contributed the observed battery figure and the Apple Watch alternative to Touch ID. Note that TechGearLab tested the numeric keypad version without Touch ID while the other two tested the Touch ID model; the keyboards are otherwise the same, but the measurements come from the former.
What we read
Common questions
How quiet is the Apple Magic Keyboard?
Can I use it with more than one computer?
Does Touch ID work on any Mac?
Is the typing any good?
Why is there no backlight?
The bottom line on the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad
The quietest and among the fastest keyboards we have measured, and the one with the fewest features. Buy it for Touch ID and silence on a single Mac, and buy almost anything else if you switch between machines.
More tech & gadgets reviews
Keyboards
Keychron K8
Hot-swap sockets, three-device Bluetooth and a Mac layout at a price that undercut everything. Every reviewer also says the same thing about how tall it sits.
Keyboards
Keychron Q1
A 1.7kg CNC aluminium case with a plate that floats 2.5mm. One reviewer loved the resonance it produces and another called the case ping its main flaw.
Keyboards
Logitech MX Mechanical
One reviewer's typing speed went from 84 to 91 words per minute on it. It also has a USB-C port that only charges, which is a strange thing to discover after buying.