New Magic Keyboard brings Touch ID to all M1 Macs

Posted:
in General Discussion
Apple's newly announced Magic Keyboard for Mac, which comes equipped with a Touch ID sensor, is compatible with all macOS machines running an M1 chip. For now, it's only available with iMac.

Magic Keyboard


Unveiled alongside a revamped 24-inch iMac on Tuesday, the Magic Keyboard is Apple's first wireless Mac peripheral to incorporate Touch ID authentication for logging in to macOS, purchasing items with Apple Pay, interacting with third-party apps and more.

As noted by blogger Rene Ritchie, the keyboard can be used by other M1 Macs, enabling Touch ID security for Mac mini and extending the capabilities of MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Though the two Apple Silicon laptop models sport Touch ID integrated into their respective power buttons, there has yet to be a comparable replacement for the feature in clamshell mode.

It should be noted that the implementation is tied to M1's secure enclave, meaning Magic Keyboard will function as a normal Bluetooth keyboard when connected to an Intel Mac or PC.

Currently, Magic Keyboard is restricted to the new 24-inch iMac, though that could change in the future as Apple typically expands availability of its peripherals. As it stands, iMac buyers can choose from three different Magic Keyboard options including a model with numeric keypad and a standard version without Touch ID.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    jdb8167jdb8167 Posts: 626member
    Bad cursor key design unfortunately. I'm not sure if the Touch ID outweighs the bad keyboard design. I type my password 20 times a day when my M1 MacBook Air is in clamshell mode. Tough call. Why didn't they do the magic keyboard cursor key layout. Blah!
    williamlondon
  • Reply 2 of 20
    I hope the “chiclet keys” are gone and the key travel and feel of the original Magic Keyboard is back. 

  • Reply 3 of 20
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,100member
    Is it also a power button?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 20
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    jdb8167 said:
    Bad cursor key design unfortunately. I'm not sure if the Touch ID outweighs the bad keyboard design. I type my password 20 times a day when my M1 MacBook Air is in clamshell mode. Tough call. Why didn't they do the magic keyboard cursor key layout. Blah!
    I don't type in my password more than once a day, in the morning. My Watch unlocks my iMac the rest of the day.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 20
    ken_kken_k Posts: 1member
    How in the world did Apple design a new keyboard and NOT include the inverted-T cursor keys? They got it right on all of the new Macbook models as well as the iPad Smart Keyboard but botched this up? What were they thinking? This keyboard will be a hard pass for me.
  • Reply 6 of 20
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    This should work with the new iPadPro?
  • Reply 7 of 20
    Why can’t they release an intel Mac version? There are a hell of a lot more Intel Macs in the world than there are M1 Macs. 
    NoFliesOnMe
  • Reply 8 of 20
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    ken_k said:
    How in the world did Apple design a new keyboard and NOT include the inverted-T cursor keys? They got it right on all of the new Macbook models as well as the iPad Smart Keyboard but botched this up? What were they thinking? This keyboard will be a hard pass for me.
    Why would anyone even care about that?

    If my own cursor keys stopped working, it'd probably be a week before I noticed.
    crossladwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 20
    I wish they’d just added a TouchID button to their existing keyboards vs. creating an entirely new one.
    edited April 2021 pulseimageswatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 20
    I'd like to Touch ID on my 2020 iMac 5K (which includes a T2 chip).
    pulseimageswatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 20
    jdb8167 said:
    Bad cursor key design unfortunately. I'm not sure if the Touch ID outweighs the bad keyboard design. I type my password 20 times a day when my M1 MacBook Air is in clamshell mode. Tough call. Why didn't they do the magic keyboard cursor key layout. Blah!
    How about the full size keyboard with Touch ID? Its layout is the same as the current full size Magic Keyboard but with touch ID instead of a power button.
  • Reply 12 of 20
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    jdb8167 said:
    Bad cursor key design unfortunately. I'm not sure if the Touch ID outweighs the bad keyboard design. I type my password 20 times a day when my M1 MacBook Air is in clamshell mode. Tough call. Why didn't they do the magic keyboard cursor key layout. Blah!
    That’s the small keyboard. The full-size with numeric keypad has a the full-size arrow keys.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 20
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    paraeeker said:
    I hope the “chiclet keys” are gone and the key travel and feel of the original Magic Keyboard is back. 

    All the Magic Keyboards have chiclet keys. Key travel distance is a separate consideration. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 20
    Really Apple. Really. 

    You’ve managed to ship a keyboard with the crap arrow keys again. I thought you’d learnt. 

    I can’t see a picture of the keyboard with numeric keys on. But hopefully that does not have the same rubbish keys on 
  • Reply 15 of 20
    thttht Posts: 5,420member
    Really Apple. Really. 

    You’ve managed to ship a keyboard with the crap arrow keys again. I thought you’d learnt. 

    I can’t see a picture of the keyboard with numeric keys on. But hopefully that does not have the same rubbish keys on 

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 20
    neilm said:
    ken_k said:
    How in the world did Apple design a new keyboard and NOT include the inverted-T cursor keys? They got it right on all of the new Macbook models as well as the iPad Smart Keyboard but botched this up? What were they thinking? This keyboard will be a hard pass for me.
    Why would anyone even care about that?

    If my own cursor keys stopped working, it'd probably be a week before I noticed.
    I use the arrow keys every single day — I certainly would notice. But I also use desktop Macs (iMacs, Mac minis) more often than my MacBooks … and I have a full-size Apple keyboard with numeric keypad on every desktop Mac. I'm glad they kept the same layout (with inverted-T arrow keys) on the new version of the full keyboard with numeric keypad.

    That said, I agree with others who dislike the arrow key layout on the new keyboards that don't have the numeric keypad. They have the inverted-T arrow keys on the similarluy sized Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, and I would have preferred that design on the smaller Magic Keyboard for the 2021 24-inch iMac.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 20
    As one of those with functionally unreadable prints, I'd much rather have Face ID added. As long as I can still log in with my watch, I'm good. Touch ID is completely useless for some of us.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 20
    neilm said:
    ken_k said:
    How in the world did Apple design a new keyboard and NOT include the inverted-T cursor keys? They got it right on all of the new Macbook models as well as the iPad Smart Keyboard but botched this up? What were they thinking? This keyboard will be a hard pass for me.
    Why would anyone even care about that?

    If my own cursor keys stopped working, it'd probably be a week before I noticed.
    Because my experience applies to absolutely everyone who actually matters. So Apple should only pay attention to me. /s
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 20
    nicholfdnicholfd Posts: 824member
    k2kw said:
    This should work with the new iPadPro?
    As a BlueTooth keyboard.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 20
    nicholfdnicholfd Posts: 824member

    Why can’t they release an intel Mac version? There are a hell of a lot more Intel Macs in the world than there are M1 Macs. 
    Secure Enclave in the M1 - it's in the article.
    watto_cobra
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