The Magic Trackpad is a

multi-touch In computing, multi-touch is technology that enables a surface (a touchpad or touchscreen) to recognize the presence of more than one somatosensory system, point of contact with the surface at the same time. The origins of multitouch began at CE ...

and force touch

trackpad A touchpad or trackpad is a type of pointing device. Its largest component is a tactile sensor: an electronic device with a flat surface, that detects the motion and position of a user's fingers, and translates them to 2D motion, to control a p ...

produced by

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Comput ...

The first generation version was released on July 27, 2010, and featured a trackpad 80% larger than the built-in trackpad found on the then-current MacBook family of laptops. A redesigned second generation version, initially marketed as Magic Trackpad 2, was released on October 13, 2015.

Models

1st generation

The first generation Magic Trackpad was released on July 27, 2010. It is made of glass and aluminum in the same style as Apple's Wireless Keyboard and sits flush with it. The entire trackpad can be used as a button, pressing down on the trackpad puts pressure on two circular feet below to register a click. The trackpad connects via

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is li ...

and is powered by two AA batteries.

2nd generation

The second generation Magic Trackpad, initially marketed as the Magic Trackpad 2, was released on October 13, 2015, alongside the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2. It had 29% more surface area than the first generation model, features an enclosed wedge design, and adds support for

Force Touch Force Touch is a haptic pressure-sensing technology developed by Apple Inc. that enables trackpads and touchscreens to sense the amount of force being applied to their surfaces. Software that uses Force Touch can distinguish between various ...

. It also provides haptic feedback via Apple's built-in Taptic Engine that is also used in MacBook trackpads. It includes a built-in rechargeable

lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible Intercalation (chemistry), intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically Electrical conductor, conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are c ...

battery and uses the

Lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...

connector for charging and pairing. Released in 2020,

iPadOS iPadOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple for its iPad line of tablet computers. It was given a name distinct from iOS, the operating system used by Apple's iPhones to reflect the diverging features of the two product lines, suc ...

13.4 introduced mouse support to iPads for the first time, and supports all functionality of the second-generation Magic Trackpad. It was originally released in white, and was followed by a space gray version that was introduced with the iMac Pro in 2017 alongside a color-matching Magic Keyboard; both were later made available as standalone purchases. Seven pastel models (red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) were introduced in 2021 to match the colors of the M1 iMac. Additionally, standalone purchases included a USB-C to Lightning cable instead of a USB-A cable. In 2022, the space gray color was replaced by a black-and-silver version which was previously only available bundled with the third-generation

Mac Pro Mac Pro is a series of workstations and servers for professionals made by Apple Inc. since 2006. The Mac Pro, by some performance benchmarks, is the most powerful computer that Apple offers. It is one of four desktop computers in the current ...

. On October 28, 2024, Apple released an updated Magic Trackpad that replaced the Lightning charging port with a USB-C port.

Reception

Reviews of the first generation Magic Trackpad lauded its design but criticized its price. Scott Stein of CNET wrote, "Apple's $69 Bluetooth device is minimalist and not particularly cheap"; "We're not sure we'd ditch our mouse and use the Magic Trackpad, but it's a compact solution for the touch-addicted."

Macworld ''Macworld'' is a digital magazine and website dedicated to products and software of Apple Inc., published by Foundry, a subsidiary of IDG. History ''Macworld'' was founded by David Bunnell and Cheryl Woodard (publishers) and Andrew Fl ...

also praised the trackpad's design similarity with the Apple Wireless Keyboard: "The Magic Trackpad is the same height and angle of inclination as the Apple Wireless Keyboard, making them a good fit, in terms of size and style." In reviews of the second-generation Magic Trackpad, reviewers praised the new Force Touch functionality, better ergonomics over the Magic Mouse, and full compatibility with macOS and iPadOS, but noted its high price tag.

References

External links