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Input & Connectivity

Apple Magic Trackpad (USB-C) โ€” Black Multi-Touch Surface

By Nick Miles ยท Updated 2026-06-08 ยท 8 expert sources

Apple Magic Trackpad (USB-C) โ€” Black Multi-Touch Surface

Pros

  • +Identical Force Touch hardware and full macOS gesture engine as the white model โ€” performance is unchanged, only the finish differs
  • +Black anodized aluminum frame ties into Space Black MacBook Pro and dark-themed battlestation builds that white peripherals break
  • +160mm x 115mm glass and ~1 month battery match the reference white unit spec-for-spec
  • +USB-C pairing and charging via the included braided cable; one-cable parity with current Macs
  • +Premium build is the same aluminum-and-glass benchmark reviewers cite as best-in-class

Cons

  • โˆ’Carries a $20 color tax over the white model ($139.99 vs $119.99) for zero functional gain
  • โˆ’Same minimal Windows gesture support โ€” the black finish does not change the macOS-only Force Touch limitation
  • โˆ’Bluetooth-only with no dongle or wired fallback
  • โˆ’Front-edge USB-C port still blocks natural-orientation use while charging

Score breakdown

  • Expert consensus9.4
  • Effectiveness9.5
  • Build safety9.5
  • Durability9.0
  • Value6.6