Tech head-to-head
Apple Magic MousevsKeychron Q1
Age hasn't cost the 2021 Keychron Q1 the lead: it averages 8.4 against 6.8 for the 2024 Apple Magic Mouse, and takes Ease of use 7.8 to 5.4.
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.
Keychron Q1
Keychron
8.4
A gasket-mounted aluminum board with QMK firmware, sold assembled instead of as a kit.
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, Keychron Q1 ahead 7.8 to 5.4. They come closest on Design, 8.8 to 8.6. Left of center is Apple Magic Mouse, right is Keychron Q1.
Which one to pick
Take the Apple Magic Mouse
- 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 Keychron Q1
Leads on Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Design.
- You want to remap every key without vendor software running in the background
- Typing feel is worth more to you than portability
- You expect to swap switches rather than replace the board
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
Keychron Q1
- You need it to travel — this is close to two kilograms
- Wired-only, or the wireless variant premium, is a problem
Specs, side by side
| Spec | Apple Magic Mouse | Keychron Q1 |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Multi-touch gestures | — |
| Charging | USB-C port on the underside | — |
| Profile | Almost flat | — |
| Layout | — | 75 percent |
| Case | — | CNC aluminum |
| Switches | — | Hot-swappable |
| Firmware | — | QMK and VIA |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- The Apple Magic Mouse is 3 years newer. Why does it score lower?
- Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 2021 model takes Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Design, widest on Ease of use at 7.8 to 5.4. The 2024 model doesn't lead a single axis.
- What did the 2024 model improve?
- Nothing that shows up in the 5 axes. Its own listed weakness reads: You use a mouse for more than about an hour at a time.
- Which one ranks higher in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand"?
- Keychron Q1 sits at #1 in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand", Apple Magic Mouse at #2.