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Tech head-to-head

Apple Magic MousevsLogitech MX Master 3S

1.5 points separate them: 8.3 for Logitech MX Master 3S, 6.8 for Apple Magic Mouse. Ease of use carries most of it, 8.2 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.

Logitech MX Master 3S

Logitech

8.3

The default productivity mouse, and the quiet-click revision fixed its most-cited flaw.

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, Logitech MX Master 3S ahead 8.2 to 5.4. They come closest on Design, 8.6 to 8.4. Left of center is Apple Magic Mouse, right is Logitech MX Master 3S.

Apple Magic Mouse versus Logitech MX Master 3S — 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 Logitech MX Master 3S run right. Apple Magic Mouse: Performance 6.8, Value 5.6, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 5.4, Design 8.6. Logitech MX Master 3S: Performance 8.8, Value 7.8, Durability 8.2, Ease of use 8.2, Design 8.4.Apple Magic Mouse (left)Logitech MX Master 3S (right)PerformanceApple Magic Mouse — Performance 6.8 out of 106.8Logitech MX Master 3S — Performance 8.8 out of 108.8ValueApple Magic Mouse — Value 5.6 out of 105.6Logitech MX Master 3S — Value 7.8 out of 107.8DurabilityApple Magic Mouse — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Logitech MX Master 3S — Durability 8.2 out of 108.2Ease of useApple Magic Mouse — Ease of use 5.4 out of 105.4Logitech MX Master 3S — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2DesignApple Magic Mouse — Design 8.6 out of 108.6Logitech MX Master 3S — Design 8.4 out of 108.4Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Apple Magic Mouse

Leads on 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 Logitech MX Master 3S

Leads on Performance, Value, Durability and Ease of use.

  • Spreadsheets and long documents, where the free-spinning wheel earns its keep
  • Three computers and one mouse
  • You share a room and the old model's click was too loud

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

Logitech MX Master 3S

  • Small hands — this is a large, high-backed shape
  • You want a symmetrical shape for left-handed use

Specs, side by side

SpecApple Magic MouseLogitech MX Master 3S
SurfaceMulti-touch gestures—
ChargingUSB-C port on the underside—
ProfileAlmost flat—
Sensor—8,000 DPI
Scroll—Magnetic ratchet, free-spin
Connection—Bluetooth and Logi Bolt
Thumb—Horizontal wheel plus gesture button

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is Logitech MX Master 3S the straightforward pick?
Logitech MX Master 3S leads on Performance, Value, Durability and Ease of use. If Design matters more to you, take the Apple Magic Mouse instead. It is 1.5 ahead on the average, which is wide for a 5-axis category.
What does Apple Magic Mouse still do better?
Design. Design runs 8.6 to 8.4. Everything else goes the other way.
Which one ranks higher in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand"?
Apple Magic Mouse sits at #2 in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand", Logitech MX Master 3S at #4.