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Apple’s standalone keyboard, mouse, and trackpad no longer need batteries

The new desktops and accessories arrived without so much as a peep.

 

Mike Wehner

Tech

Posted on Oct 13, 2015   Updated on May 27, 2021, 7:50 pm CDT

Apple’s fall product rollout continues today with the quiet launch of an updated 21.5-inch iMac as well as a trio of revamped Magic accessories.

When Apple updated its massive 27-inch iMac with a 5K display last year it didn’t give nearly as much love to its smaller, 21.5-inch brother. Today that changes with an update that brings a faster processor, updated memory, and boosted graphics capabilities, along with the option of a 4K display.

Intel Iris Pro integrated graphics now power the trio of available 21.5-inch iMacs. The 4K version of the desktop comes with a 3.1GHz i5, and is priced at $1,499. The two less expensive, 1080p models are priced at $1,099 (1.6GHz i5) and $1,299 (2.8GHz i5). Aesthetically, the desktops remain virtually identical to their predecessors. 

Apple’s add-on accessories also got a big update today, ditching swappable batteries and opting for rechargeable internal power supplies. The Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Mouse 2 have all been overhauled, adding key stability to the keyboard, a larger surface area to the trackpad, and removing weight from the mouse. All three are now recharged using Apple Lightning cables.

As it often does with incremental updates, Apple rolled out these products without an event or official announcement, which means they’re already available for purchase on Apple’s online store. 

Photo via Apple

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*First Published: Oct 13, 2015, 11:52 am CDT