Apple’s new USB-C iMac accessory still has a major issue

Apple has continued its phasing out of the proprietary Lightning charging port and cable with new USB-C accessories for Mac.

However, while the port has changed on the Magic Mouse, images of the new accessory like the one shown above have revealed the positioning of said port has not changed. For some, that’s a real problem.

The charging port for the Magic Mouse remains on the bottom of the peripheral, meaning it cannot be charged and used at the same time.

That’s a real pain point if you’re in a pinch and need to use the Mac but the mouse is dead. At least with the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad the port is on the top edge, meaning it’s easy to replenish the accessory while you’re using it.

Beyond that, it’s still odd that, in order to charge the Magic Mouse at all, you have to flip it upside down. If you want to avoid this, be sure to opt for the Magic TrackPad when buying your new iMac M4.

This is a long-held complaint from Apple users and has been for almost a decade. To go to the lengths of changing the type of port but not address a major design flaw that’s been unpopular with consumers seems lazy and a wasted opportunity. Especially considering Apple revamps these products so infrequently.

In the era where MagSafe is being added to more Apple products in able to charge them wirelessly, surely we can do better than this?

The new accessories were announced alongside (and will ship with) the new iMac M4 (2024). As the name would suggest, it includes the latest M4 processor, it’s also got 16GB of RAM as standard, a display option that’s more glare resistant, and comes in a suite of fresh colours.

It’s available to pre-order from £1,299 right now, with availability commencing on November 8.