Alpine Times
At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
・Sturdy and comfortable design
・New haptic feedback features
・Two scrolling wheels
・Lots of programmable buttons
Cons
・Right-handed only
・Expensive
・Currently, only a small number of applications are designed to work with haptic technology.
Our Verdict
While the advanced touch feedback might be more than what some users need, the MX Master 4 retains the outstanding design and adaptable functionalities of earlier models. Furthermore, the Options+ application allows users to customize commands, streamlining everyday actions, and charging is conveniently done without flipping the mouse over.
Price When Reviewed
The price information for the product “undefined,” based on your location, will be displayed here.
Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
119.99
Top Deals Right Now: Logitech MX Master 4
Retailer Price
$119.99 View Deal Logitech $119.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket
Razer is now breaking into the Mac arena with its…Pro Click mouseLogitech is fighting back with a highly anticipated (and extensively leaked) refresh of their well-loved MX Master lineup.MX Master 3came out all the way back in 2019, and then the3SWhile 2022 didn’t bring a significant overhaul with the 3S, the new MX Master 4 marks a genuine advancement, as Logitech debuts haptic feedback. We’re happy to report that the price point stays consistent at $119.99/£119.99, even with the inclusion of this new technology. The MX Master 3S is still available at a reduced cost, making it a worthwhile substitute for Apple’s Magic Mouse.
Logitech
It’s important to note that, similar to earlier MX mice and keyboards, a dedicated ‘For Mac’ version of the MX Master 4 exists. This Mac edition, however, doesn’t offer significant changes, mainly providing ‘space black’ and ‘white silver’ color schemes intended to complement current Mac computers. Frustratingly, the Mac edition carries the same price tag as the regular version, despite missing the extra USB wireless adapter included with the standard MX Master 4, which serves as a substitute for a typical Bluetooth wireless link.
We opted to evaluate the regular MX Master 4 because we favor the USB adapter connection over Bluetooth. Disappointingly, a left-handed version remains unavailable even now. It seems Logitech’s design team is too occupied to simply reverse the design in Photoshop and produce a left-handed option.
Master Mouse
Initially, the MX Master 4 (the regular model) appears quite similar to previous versions. Offered in either a dark or light grey color, the Master 4 maintains Logitech’s signature aesthetic, featuring a top surface that arches to comfortably support your hand, an additional scroll wheel located on the left side, and a sizable thumb rest extending from the bottom left portion of the mouse.
The Master 4 maintains the 8,000dpi sensor and rapid scrolling wheel found in the previous model, and the battery life is still approximately 70 days when fully charged.
Despite the similarities, this updated version has numerous distinctions, both in its internal components and external design. The mouse now features a different processor and antenna, resulting in a more stable wireless link, and the USB receiver has – fortunately – been updated to use a USB-C connection.
The outer casing of the mouse uses a more robust, stain-resistant coating, and the thumb rest is larger in order to accommodate the new haptic feedback features.
Previous versions of the MX Master had an extra button hidden inside the thumb rest – which, according to Logitech, many people tended to overlook (including me) – so that button has now been moved upwards so that it’s more clearly visible sitting alongside the existing Forward/Back thumb buttons on the side of the mouse.
Haptic Feedback
But, of course, it’s the haptic feedback features that are the star of the show, and the thumb rest now has a haptic ‘Sense Panel’ that sits right under the tip of your thumb. This is a button that you can program to perform a variety of functions, but it also provides tactile haptic feedback in the form of a brief ‘click’ sensation – similar to the haptic feedback on Apple’s Magic Trackpad – in response to a variety of actions or commands.
Logitech
Admittedly, some people may not notice the haptic feedback very much at first, and Logitech acknowledges that these features are very much aimed at “advanced users” who want “peak productivity”. There aren’t many professional apps that currently support haptic feedback, but Logitech has worked with Adobe to add haptic support to Photoshop and Lightroom, so that the mouse can trigger a haptic ‘click’ in response to actions such as cropping or aligning an object to a guide.
Logitech’s also working with other developers to help them create plug-ins that can add haptic support to their own apps, so this could become a useful tool that provides helpful haptic feedback for pro users who want to streamline common tasks in their key apps.
A Mouse With Options
For home users or ordinary office workers, the Logi Options+ app provides another new feature, called the Action Ring, which is activated by pressing the Sense Panel button. The Actions Ring appears on screen when you press the Sense Panel, and displays a circular menu with additional commands that you can select. By default, the Action Ring displays a set of standard commands, such as launching the Notes app on a Mac or instantly locking your Mac.
The Action Ring is compatible with older MX mice; however, the MX Master 4 offers a haptic click as feedback when you choose commands. While this isn’t revolutionary, the Options+ app lets you personalize the Action Ring with various controls and commands, each providing a haptic click upon selection.
Logitech.com
Should You Buy The Logitech MX Master 4?
It’s still early days for haptic technology, and there’s only a handful of professional apps that currently support the new haptic features, so the MX Master 4 may not be an essential upgrade for owners of older MX mice. But, if you’re looking for an alternative to Apple’s Magic Mouse, then the MX Master 4 is one of the best mice currently available for the Mac. Its array of programmable buttons makes it far more versatile than Apple’s Magic Mouse, and if you’re not sold on the haptic hype then the previous MX model is still available at a lower price. It’s a shame, though, that Logitech is so slow at recognising the needs of left-handed users.
