Earlier this year, Apple finally transitioned its "Magic" accessories to USB-C. While the move has arguably been overdue for a while -- the iPhone 15 finally embraced USB-C in 2023, and Macs have had almost nothing but USB-C ports for a decade now -- it was better late than never.

Some had hoped that Apple would use the extra time to introduce new designs, particularly for the Magic Mouse. Apple may be a "form over function" company, but sometimes it leans too heavily in that direction, and its Magic Mouse is a prime example.

That's not something you want in a human interface device, and it's somewhat sad considering how great Apple's trackpads are -- both the ones built into its MacBooks and the standalone Magic Trackpad. The Magic Mouse, on the other hand, is far from the most ergonomic device. Maybe it works well with some people's hands, but those folks are in the minority from everything we've seen and heard over the years.

However, there's a consensus that the most egregious design choice on the Magic Mouse is the location of the charging port. Rather than plugging it in to charge it on one of the edges, you have to flip that thing over and lay it on its back like a helpless turtle and then spear it right in the heart with a Lightning or USB-C connector (It's actually kind of morbid when you think about it, but then again maybe I'm just anthropomorphizing my accessories again).

That's not an issue that matters to everyone, as the mouse doesn't need to be charged that often and charges quickly enough. Some have speculated that this was an opinionated design choice to keep people using it like a wired mouse.

Nevertheless, when the USB-C Magic Mouse and its brethren arrived, it was disappointing to find the only thing that had changed from the previous Lightning versions was the port. Apple just pulled out the Lightning port, stuck in a USB-C port, and called it a day.

Fortunately, this may not be the end of the matter. In many product transitions like this, Apple has taken the path of least resistance just to get a switch made as quickly as possible. For example, the first M1 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro came in the same physical form as their Intel predecessors, gaining only the new Apple silicon chip. However, those were eventually followed by completely redesigned successors. The Magic Mouse may be another page in that same story.

In the latest issue of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reveals that Apple is "rethinking the mouse for the modern era." It's fair to say it's about time; the Magic Mouse came out when the iPhone 3GS was cutting-edge, and the iPad was just a gleam in Steve Jobs' eye. It's had no significant design changes in 15 years.

The Magic Mouse was impressive technology for its era. It featured a touch-sensitive surface that could be used not just for scrolling but also for other swipe gestures. It was like having a mini-trackpad on top of your mouse. Charging wasn't an issue in those days, as it ran from a pair of AA batteries.

It didn't become rechargeable until 2015, adopting a Lightning port in the process. While that may seem odd in retrospect, it was a more natural fit in an era when many were still using USB-to-Lightning cables to plug iPhones and iPads into their Macs. Apple's principle seemed pretty straightforward at the time: USB (or USB-C) was for the computer side, and Lightning was for everything on the other end.

Of course, the world has moved beyond Lightning. iPhones and iPads have become increasingly untethered, and many iPhone owners have likely never connected their iPhones to their Mac or PC (except perhaps to charge it when it's the most convenient port available). Apple has slowly followed suit, and here we are at a point where nearly everything in its lineup is USB-C.

Now that it's checked off that box, Apple appears ready to move ahead with a "full overhaul" of the Magic Mouse.

In a computing world now infused with touch screens, voice commands and hand gestures, the mouse isn't as crucial as it once was. But it's still the go-to input device when you need to make precise moves. Apple is looking to create something that's more relevant, while also fixing longstanding complaints -- yes, including the charging port issue.

Mark Gurman

Don't expect it anytime soon, though. Gurman says it's still in the "prototyping" phase, so it's at least a couple of years away. Apple hasn't yet settled on a final design, and once it does, there will be "months or years of hardware engineering, software development, and operations work" before it will have something ready.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]