Apple Magic with Numeric Pad Review

This smooth and stylish keyboard is simply a joy to type on. Not only is it super quiet but it's also relatively easy on the wrists and features keycaps that feel just right in terms of size. Across multiple testers, this Apple keyboard consistently produced faster and more accurate typing results — almost like magic.

Performance Comparison

Typing Experience

In our force-displacement tests, the Apple Magic keyboard displayed an average actuation point distance of less than one millimeter to register a keypress. Compared to an overall average of around 2.5 millimeters of actuation distance across other keyboards I tested, it's clear that typing on this keyboard is easy and effortless.

The Apple Magic keyboard uses tactile “scissor” switches, known for providing a stable and consistent typing experience. The keys don't wobble as your fingers fly across this low-profile board. I found that this made it easier to avoid misclicks and minimized the obstructions I felt as I moved from key to key.

The required operating force left something to be desired, particularly considering how close the keys are to the hard surface of the board itself, but it nevertheless removes all hindrances to the actual typing experience.

Every person has their own preferences and methodologies when it comes to typing, so it is a major point in the Apple Magic with Numeric Pad's favor that each of our testers consistently reported an average-to-great typing experience with it. Putting any thoughts of productivity aside, this keyboard simply sparked a feeling of fun for our testers when their fingers hit the keys.

After multiple sessions of rigorous typing, we continued to enjoy this board's short and crisp keypresses and found that accidental presses were a relatively rare occurrence.

Comfort

The Apple Magic is something of a minimalist keyboard with a primary emphasis on performance, but it still manages to be exceptionally comfortable to use. The low profile of this board makes it easy to reach all the keys, reducing the strain one might feel during long typing sessions.

Our testers agreed that the keys and the backboard are hard, and the Apple Magic does little to soften the feeling of bottoming out against the hard material when you push the key all the way down. This can be a notable source of discomfort, especially compared to keyboards like the Logitech MX Keys S that gently hug your fingers and protect them from the underlying surface. However, the Apple Magic mitigates the hard blow of bottoming out by not requiring a large travel distance when clicking to begin with.

What truly makes the Apple Magic keyboard so comfortable to use is its low-profile design. This board sits at a razor-thin 3º angle, perfect for resting your palms on the desk while still enabling you to reach any key on the board. If you prefer to use a third-party palm rest accessory, though, the low height of this keyboard might make the typing experience awkward. With the front row of the board only measuring 5.5mm at its tallest, this is definitely a keyboard built for use with your palms directly on the desktop.

Performance

The performance metric is where the Apple Magic keyboard lives up to its name. Our testers participated in multiple rounds of typing tests to systematically gauge the speed and accuracy of more than a dozen wireless keyboards. In the case of this product, the results certainly convey a nigh-magical increase in each typist's performance.

While the Apple Magic makes a small sacrifice in the comfort factor by requiring slightly more operating force compared to some other keyboards we tested, we found that its measured operating force of 62 gram force actually hits a sweet spot where it helps prevent the typist from triggering keys on accident. The keys are also short and flat, requiring less travel distance for each keystroke. We did measure higher-than-average latency over the keyboard's Bluetooth connection, but we found this to have an imperceptible effect on the typing experience.

In our words-per-minute typing tests, our fastest tester achieved an average speed of 91 WPM on the Apple Magic. Two other testers achieved respectable words-per-minute scores of 53 and 45, respectively, making this office keyboard among the fastest keyboards for them as well.

What truly boggles the mind is that across all three testers, our team achieved an average accuracy rating of 9.6/10 — hardly any mistakes were made even as our testers reached the limits of how fast their fingers could dash across the keys.

Typing Noise

While the noise a keyboard makes does not directly affect its utility, it is an important factor for office workers and anyone who enjoys a satisfying click and clack. We rated the Apple Magic very highly in the typing noise metric because it is extremely quiet, making it a perfect choice for productive people who share a home or workspace with noise-sensitive individuals.

Volume isn't everything, though, which is why we surveyed our testers to determine whether the keyboard's sound adds or detracts from the experience. We found the sound of this keyboard to be perfectly neutral; it does not distract the typist, but it also might be underwhelming for someone who appreciates aural feedback while typing.

In an office environment, you likely won't even hear the clacking of the keys over the surrounding noises and chatter. The spacebar was notably louder than the other keys, but overall, this keyboard produces a crisp noise that is non-intrusive even when you can hear it.

Convenience

This is a keyboard built for performance, so it inevitably leaves some convenience on the cutting room floor. As the name states, the Apple Magic with Numeric Pad is not a tenkeyless option, so it is a bit too long for easy stowing and traveling. However, it is possible to connect this keyboard to both Windows and Mac devices via wire or Bluetooth connection. Overall, it ekes out ever-so-slightly above average in terms of convenience.

What did cause some frustration among our testers was a limited number of simultaneous connections. Whereas many other keyboards I tested could conveniently connect to three or more devices at once, the Apple Magic can only maintain a single connection at a time. It also does not feature hot-swappable switches nor comes with accompanying software, so customization is completely off the table.

It is worth noting that, despite being compatible with both Windows and MacOS, the Apple Magic keyboard does feature keys that only pertain to Mac and iOS devices. Unlike certain other keyboards I tested, this product does not enable you to swap these keys with the Windows equivalent, such as a Windows start key. This board also has no backlighting behind the keys, making it difficult to find your way in the dark. In that regard, the Apple Magic does lack some mysticism after all.

Should You Buy the Apple Magic with Numeric Pad?

If you want to feel like a typing wizard, the Apple Magic with Numeric Pad is the keyboard for you. Maximize your words per minute, minimize your typos, and generally boost your productivity all around. The presence of a tenkey number pad extends the utility of this high-performance board to include accounting tasks and spreadsheet data entry of all types. Steer away from this option if you are looking for a gaming keyboard, though, as it does have a 2-key rollover and a certain degree of Bluetooth latency that can hinder your gameplay at critical moments.

What Other Wireless Keyboard Should You Consider?

If the Apple Magic with Numeric Pad is ticking all your boxes, but you wish it was even more compact, there is a tenkeyless option that is identical in every way minus the Numpad. For a keyboard that offers a superior typing experience while also rivaling the Apple Magic in terms of performance, check out the Logitech MX Keys S. If you just need an effective wireless keyboard and mouse for the lowest reasonable cost, the Logitech MK270 Combo certainly gets the job done too.