Each row of keys is now much closer to being level with the rows beside it, which means you have to move your fingers slightly deeper to reach certain rows. That's not as big of a difference as you might think, but it's compounded by the change in the keyboard's slope.
For one, they're a lot shallower than those on the old standalone keyboard (but not quite as shallow as those on the new MacBook).
While the updated keys are essentially in the same place, they type a lot differently. The new keyboard has a sharper look, but you'll have to get used to typing on it The keys all make a very satisfying tap as you press them.
The function keys are also changing in size, from tiny rectangles to full square keys. The keys are made ever-so-slightly wider by reducing the air gap around them, but their actual placement remains identical. It looks much different: It's now a single slab of metal that gently slopes down from top to bottom - it'll actually fit perfectly beside the trackpad if you buy both of them. The keyboard is seeing the next biggest change. Unfortunately, the new model is far more expensive, nearly doubling in price to $129. Yeah, the old one didn't let you do that, which is something you might still be excessively frustrated with because you once recommended that someone buy it without realizing it couldn't really click. The trackpad's surface is now wider, taking on a rectangular shape, and the trackpad itself is gaining new tricks: it supports Force Touch, and more importantly, you can actually click it anywhere. The new trackpad has a flat metal base and a white top, which slopes down from back to front. The biggest change is to Apple's trackpad: It's no longer awful and, in fact, on initial use, it actually appears to be quite good. Their batteries are expected to last about a month per charge, and they're supposed to be able to quickly gain about nine hours of power from just two minutes of being plugged in.īeyond the battery change, each device is receiving design changes, with some being far more dramatic than others. The key change across the line is that they're all switching from AA battery power to built-in batteries that charge over a Lightning cable. Apple is updating its standalone keyboard, trackpad, and mouse today in ways that make them much better than they used to be.