Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (Lightning) vs Logitech MX Keys S
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMagic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (Lightning) | LogitechMX Keys S | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2017 | June 2023 |
| Typing | ||
| Layout | Full size | Full size |
| Switches | Scissor | Scissor |
| Key travel | – | 1.8 mm |
| Backlight | None | White |
| Automatic backlight | – | Yes |
| Keys labelled for | Mac | Mac, Windows and more |
| Touch ID | No | No |
| Switches | Scissor mechanism beneath each key, with a low-profile design | Scissor switches with 60 g actuation force, rated for 10 million keystrokes (function keys 5 million) |
| Keycaps | – | Spherically dished keys shaped for fingertips |
| Layouts | – | English UK, English International, Belgian, Croatian/Slovenian, Czech/Slovakian, Danish/Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, Ukrainian (UK store); MX Keys S for Mac in English UK, English International, French, German and Swiss |
| Backlight | – | A hand proximity sensor turns it on and an ambient light sensor sets the level; seven levels; stays off in bright rooms and below 10% battery; duration and brightness adjustable in Logi Options+ |
| Special keys | Numeric keypad, full-size arrow keys, document navigation controls and multimedia keys; F1–F19, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and forward Delete are described in iMore's exact-model hands-on | Dictation, emoji and microphone mute/unmute keys in the F row; Easy-Switch keys; Fn + Esc swaps media keys and F-keys; legends for both Windows and Mac (a Mac layout on MX Keys S for Mac) |
| Connections and battery | ||
| Connects by | Bluetooth | Bluetooth and USB receiver |
| Devices it switches between | 1 | 3 (better) |
| Power | Rechargeable | Rechargeable |
| Battery life (maker's claim) | – | Up to 5 months |
| With the backlight on | – | Up to 10 days |
| Receiver | – | Logi Bolt USB receiver included (not compatible with other Logitech receivers); MX Keys S for Mac has none in the box but works with one, which Logitech advises for Macs with FileVault on |
| Battery life detail | About a month or more between charges, according to Apple; tested in April 2017 with preproduction keyboards and shipping iMacs. Not an upper-bound battery-life claim. | Rechargeable 1500 mAh Li-Po; Logitech quotes up to 10 days with its default backlight settings or up to 5 months with backlighting off |
| Charging | Built-in rechargeable battery; the included Lightning-to-USB cable charges from a Mac or USB power adapter and automatically pairs with a Mac | USB-C port at the top right; usable while charging; USB-A to USB-C cable (USB-C to USB-C with MX Keys S for Mac) |
| Works with | Bluetooth-enabled Mac with macOS 10.12.4 or later; iOS devices with iOS 10.3 or later. Apple's guide requires removing the existing pairing before pairing with a different Mac. | Bluetooth with Windows 10, 11 or later, macOS 10.15 or later, iPadOS 14 or later, Android 8.0 or later, Linux and ChromeOS; Logi Bolt with Windows 10, 11 or later, macOS 10.15 or later, Linux and ChromeOS; MX Keys S for Mac lists macOS 10.15 or later, iOS 14 or later and iPadOS 14 or later |
| Software | Keyboard preferences configure modifier keys, shortcuts and input sources and show battery level | Logi Options+ (Windows and macOS) for Smart Actions, key customisation and backlight settings; Logitech Flow with a Flow-enabled Logitech mouse |
| Design | ||
| Weight | 390 g (better) | 810 g |
| Width × depth × height | 418.7 × 114.9 × 10.9 mm | 430.2 × 131.63 × 20.5 mm |
| Materials | – | Low-carbon aluminium key-module bracket; plastic parts include 26% (Graphite, Space Gray) or 11% (Pale Gray) certified post-consumer recycled plastic |
| Size | Height 0.41–1.09 cm, width 41.87 cm and depth 11.49 cm; Apple's 0.39 kg weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process | – |
| Colours | Silver with white keys in the retained UK store listing | Graphite, Pale Gray (UK store; Black also sold in the US); MX Keys S for Mac in Space Gray and Pale Grey |
| In the box | Keyboard and Lightning-to-USB-A cable. TechCrunch's 5 June 2017 launch report records immediate shipping; the retained maker sheet does not give a release date. This entry covers the Lightning model without Touch ID. | Keyboard, Logi Bolt USB receiver, USB-A to USB-C charging cable, documentation (also sold with MX Palm Rest); MX Keys S for Mac comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable and no receiver |
| Warranty | – | 2-year limited hardware warranty (UK) |
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