Apple Starts Selling Magic Keyboard With Touch ID as a Standalone Offering, No Longer Exclusive to M1 iMac

Apple has started selling its Magic Keyboard with Touch ID as a standalone offering. Up until now, the wireless keyboard was exclusive to the M1-powered iMac that debuted in April. The Cupertino company is also selling the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad for Mac computers with Apple silicon. Alongside the new keyboard models, Apple has updated its Intel-powered Mac Pro with three new graphics card options, namely the Radeon Pro W6800X MPX Module, the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module, and the Radeon Pro W6900X MPX Module.

Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID price in India

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is available for purchase in India at Rs. 14,500 ($149 in the US). The pricing is indeed significantly higher if we compare it with the regular Magic Keyboard that is available at Rs. 9,500 ($99). However, it brings the addition of a Touch ID sensor to enable biometric authentication support that helps protect personal data from strangers. MacRumors initially spotted the availability of the new keyboard.

In addition to the vanilla Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Apple has the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad that is priced at Rs. 17,500 ($179 in the US). Customers can also match their Touch ID-equipped Magic Keyboard by picking the new Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse that are available for Rs. 12,500 ($129) and Rs. 7,500 ($79), respectively.

Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad is also available in India at Rs. 17,500
Photo Credit: Apple

Apple is currently selling the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID in its traditional silver/ aluminium colour option. This means that the other colour options of the keyboard are still exclusively available with the 2021 iMac.

Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID specifications, features

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID looks quite similar to the regular Magic Keyboard, though it has the fingerprint sensor module to deliver a distinct experience. Touch ID support on the new keyboard is, however, limited to Mac devices that have Apple silicon and are running on at least macOS 11.4. This means that you won't be able to use its biometric authentication on older Mac computers.

Apple has designed the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID in a slightly wider size over the original Magic Keyboard. Nevertheless, it has the same aluminium body and is rated to deliver about a month of battery life on a single charge.

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID also comes with Bluetooth connectivity for pairing. Further, it retains a Lightning port for charging. The keyboard is also bundled with a Lightning to USB-C cable for charging.

Mac Pro with new graphics card modules

As initially reported by Jake Krol of CNN, Apple has updated its Mac Pro with the Radeon Pro W6800X MPX Module, the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module, and the Radeon Pro W6900X MPX Module graphic options. The company claims that the new graphic modules offer up to 23 percent faster performance in DaVinci Resolve and are 84 percent faster in Octane X.

The Radeon Pro W6800X MPX Module with 32GB of GDDR6 memory can be added to the Mac Pro in India at Rs. 2,40,000 ($2,400 in the US), while the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module with 64GB of GDDR6 memory is priced at Rs. 4,60,000 ($4,600) and the Radeon Pro W6900X MPX Module with 32GB of GDDR6 memory at Rs. 5,60,000 ($5,600).

Customers can consider the new modules while configuring their Mac Pro through Apple's Online Store.