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Tech head-to-head

Apple Magic MousevsBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds edges Apple Magic Mouse, 7.7 to 6.8. The 5 axes split 3-2, widest on Ease of use at 2.6.

Apple Magic Mouse

Apple

6.8

Beautiful, gesture-rich, and shaped in a way that most hands stop tolerating after an hour.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bose

7.7

The strongest sense of low-frequency noise disappearing here, and the steepest asking price.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Ease of use, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds ahead 8.0 to 5.4. They come closest on Durability, 7.8 to 7.4. Left of center is Apple Magic Mouse, right is Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

Apple Magic Mouse versus Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Apple Magic Mouse run left from the axis labels, bars for Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds run right. Apple Magic Mouse: Performance 6.8, Value 5.6, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 5.4, Design 8.6. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Performance 8.6, Value 6.8, Durability 7.4, Ease of use 8.0, Design 7.6.Apple Magic Mouse (left)Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (right)PerformanceApple Magic Mouse — Performance 6.8 out of 106.8Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — Performance 8.6 out of 108.6ValueApple Magic Mouse — Value 5.6 out of 105.6Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — Value 6.8 out of 106.8DurabilityApple Magic Mouse — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — Durability 7.4 out of 107.4Ease of useApple Magic Mouse — Ease of use 5.4 out of 105.4Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — Ease of use 8.0 out of 108.0DesignApple Magic Mouse — Design 8.6 out of 108.6Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — Design 7.6 out of 107.6Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Apple Magic Mouse

Leads on Durability and Design.

  • macOS gesture navigation is central to how you work
  • The mouse spends more time being looked at than used
  • You want something that disappears into a minimal desk

Take the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use.

  • Subway cars and aircraft cabins are where these will live
  • Tips have never sealed well for you and noise leaks in

What each one gets wrong

Apple Magic Mouse

  • You use a mouse for more than about an hour at a time
  • Charging from a port on the underside is an obvious problem

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

  • You are weighing spec against budget, since this scores last on value here
  • Pressure in the ear canal bothers you

Specs, side by side

SpecApple Magic MouseBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
SurfaceMulti-touch gestures—
ChargingUSB-C port on the underside—
ProfileAlmost flat—
Codecs—SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Battery—About 6 hrs with ANC on
Water resistance—IPX4
Fit—Tips plus stability bands

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Apple Magic Mouse or Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — which should I buy?
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use. If Durability and Design matter more to you, take the Apple Magic Mouse instead.
Is 0.9 a real difference?
Barely. Apple Magic Mouse averages 6.8 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds averages 7.7, and the total is the plain average of 5 axes, so 0.9 is what one axis moving 4.5 looks like after averaging. The axis split, 3-2, tells you more.
Which one ranks higher in "Every one of these is excellent for about an hour"?
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds sits at #3 in "Every one of these is excellent for about an hour", Apple Magic Mouse at #4.