Apple Magic Mouse 2 Review | Full Details

If you have a Mac already or you’re looking at getting one, then you might be thinking about what accessories you need to go with it. One of the most commonly bought peripherals is the Magic Mouse 2, which is Apple’s wireless mouse made to accompany a Macbook or iMac.

Although the Apple Magic Mouse 2 is pretty popular, it definitely does have its critics out there. So is it worth getting the Magic Mouse 2? Or should you opt for another brand that’s out there, like Logitech or Razer? Well, let’s take a look at it in closer detail.

Apple Magic Mouse 2 Review

The Magic mouse 2 comes in both a white and a space grey. However, the space grey is usually at full cost of around £100, whereas you can find the white version on sale at around £60-65 if you’re lucky. This is a pretty big saving, so it can pay to hold out until you find the Magic mouse in a sale.

The most noticeable thing is the absence of a scroll wheel. For heavy Excel users, this can often be a dealbreaker, as they’re generally necessary for using programs like that. If you do need a scroll wheel, I’d advise you look at something like the Logitech MX Master 3.

If you’re already running the MacOS or iPadOS at home on your Apple products, then this is probably the perfect match. But, we’re going to look at it a little closer first to see what it has to offer.

Design

What sets the Magic Mouse apart from the competition is its simple design, which makes it one of the most attractive mice out there. It has a low profile and is very low in terms of height, which aesthetically looks great but can take a little while to get used to.

You can choose whether you want to have the right click function on the mouse activated or not, which gives you the option of more control from just the mouse.

magic-mouse-top

Another good thing about the design of the Magic Mouse 2 is its ability to scroll. It works just like the trackpad, where you trace your finger a lot the top of the mouse to scroll up and down. If you spend a lot of time reading articles like I do, then this is a necessary function to have.

You can also add smart zoom, which zooms in when you double click your mouse. You can do all this in System Preferences.

magic-mouse-gestures

You can also use multi touch gestures with your Magic mouse as well. These essentially are very similar to shortcuts on your keyboard, except you use the mouse or trackpad instead.

It allows you to zoom or rotate things very easily, which is key if you spend long hours on your laptop. They are definitely one of the better features that you get with this mouse.

Connectivity

The connectivity is generally very good with the Magic Mouse. If you leave it on all the time, then it should stay connected to your Mac whenever you turn it on.

The only problems I’ve had with the mouse is when I turn it off consciously because I’m going to use the laptop’s trackpad. Whenever I’ve turned the mouse back on, it doesn’t reconnect automatically for a while, and I’ve had to go back into system preferences to connect it. Sure, it only takes 20 seconds to do this, but it’s a little annoying.

But when you want to charge it, you can simply use the lightning port on the bottom of the mouse. It’s simple enough, and it should charge your mouse back up relatively quickly.

Battery Life

The battery life of the Magic Mouse is very good. On average , I’d say that I charge it around once per week. I use my laptop pretty much 8 hours or more a day every single day, so when you think about it like that, the battery life is pretty impressive.

It also charges up really quickly too, so even if you are running low on battery, this isn’t too much of a concern if you can charge it. You can also turn the mouse off via the switch on the bottom to save battery life.

magic-mouse-bottom

Having a rechargeable battery is something you take for granted after owning this laptop for a while. But it is definitely a good investment, and you can easily connect the lightning cable whenever you want to charge your wireless mouse up.

Price

As always with Apple products, they come under a lot of criticism for their price. The Magic Mouse retails at around £60 or £70, which is pretty expensive for a normal wireless mouse.

If you want to keep all your products Apple, then it’s a must. However, if you want a cheap option or you want something else, then check out Spacehop’s list of wireless mice. You can find a good mouse as cheap as £20, but also some that are even more expensive than the Magic Mouse.

Magic Mouse 1 vs 2

With there being 6 years between the release of the Magic mouse 1 and 2, it seems reasonable that in 2021 we may see the release of a Magic mouse 3 (the Magic mouse 2 was released in 2015).

Though looking at Apple currently, they probably have their hands full with the launch of the M1 chip, and various different changes they’re making to the four different iPad variations they currently have available too.

But what brought about the release of the Magic mouse 2 in the first place? Well, the main area where it improved on the older MM1 was battery. Instead of using AA batteries in the mouse, the Magic mouse 2 is rechargeable, which is much better when it comes to convenience.

However, a critic may argue that the 2nd generation of the Magic mouse has a shelf life – when its battery dies. Effectively with the 1st generation, you’d need to wait for the actually hardware to fail before having to replace it.

The 2nd Gen Magic mouse is better is a couple of other areas though. The two rails that run along the bottom of it are much better than before, and they work with a variety of surfaces. Many people had trouble using the original on some metal surfaces.

As well as this, it’s lighter than before too. So although the differences aren’t drastic, they do make a difference.

Common Questions about the Magic Mouse

Is the Magic Mouse worth it?

This will entirely depend on your perspective on Apple products in general. If you like Apple products and are happy to pay a bit more for better design and usability, then you’ll appreciate the Magic Mouse. However if you want the best value for money, then the Magic Mouse isn’t going to be the best choice for you.

Is the Apple Magic Mouse ergonomic?

The short answer to this is; no, not really. For a mouse to be ergonomic, it really needs to provide wrist support to the user. The Magic Mouse is just flat, so it doesn’t really provide any support at all.

What’s better; the Magic Mouse or the Trackpad?

This will come down to preference, but for most people the mouse is going to be the better of the two. It’s more precise, and for the typical user they’ll find the mouse more easy to use than the trackpad. However, there definitely are a lot of people who love the trackpad, and some even use both of them simultaneously.

Do I need to turn the Magic Mouse off?

Although some people do, you don’t really need to turn the Magic Mouse off when you’re not using it. After a while, the mouse will understand that you’re not using it, and go into standby mode.

Can you use Magic Mouse with iPhone?

I’m not sure why you’d want to, but yes you can use the Magic Mouse and the Magic Keyboard with iPhones as old as the iPhone 5 model.

Conclusion

All in all, the decision to buy a Magic Mouse will entirely depend on your relationship with Apple. The likelihood is that if you’re reading this, you’ve already got or are going to buy a Macbook or an iMac.

So, you probably like Apple’s products, and you’ll probably find the Magic Mouse a great addition. There are those that won’t like it, and if you’re looking for an ergonomic mouse, then there are better options out there.

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About Alex

Hello, I'm Alex and this is my website, Spacehop. I started the site as a way to talk about myself, and a few years later we're now a team of 6! I still work full time at a major PC retailer in the UK, and I'm a bit of a tech whizz (self-proclaimed, unfortunately!).

2 thoughts on “Apple Magic Mouse 2 Review | Full Details”

  1. In many ways the Magic Mouse 2 represent what Apple is all about. Which is design over practical function and while the Magic Mouse looks and feels like a quality input device. It’s leave a lot to be desired in function and ergonomics. This is not a comfortable mouse for hours of use by any stretch. Coming from a company like Apple you can see how this can happen. Whereas Microsoft built its Arc Mouse on design but also implemented a good position for the hand as well. I like a big tall fat mouse that fills up my palm. I want it to be an extension of my hand. After all, it’s a tool that you use a lot with a computer. The other disappointment is the Bluetooth connectivity. I mean Bluetooth is problematic for mouse tracking by itself.
    The charging was obviously an afterthought and probably saved on redesigning the mouse from previous gen. Sure Apple focused more on the cool factor with the Magic Mouse over making really a good input device for end users. That’s really too bad, but very predictable of Apple.

    Reply
    • Thanks for the comment John! I must say, I think you make some great points and I tend to agree with you (shhh don’t tell Alex)… I use Apple’s Magic Trackpad 2 with my MacBook Pro and external monitor setup. This way I can still use all of the gestures, etc 🙂

      Reply

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