How low is the Magic Trackpad 2 latency?

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How low is the Magic Trackpad 2 latency?

I used MacBooks for a long time and I got used to their trackpads (they are perfect). Recently I decided to turn my MacBook Pro 2015 into a desktop: bought a monitor, a Wireless Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad.

I faced a few lacks as soon as I started using the Magic Trackpad:

It's latency (the delay between I move a finger and the cursor moves on the screen) is lower than the MacBook trackpad latency. The bigger latency makes the usage feel tight. The latency isn't catastrophic, it's just not as I got used to.
It has a low refresh rate (about 30/second) with multitouch gestures, e.g. scrolling a webpage with 2 fingers. This is annoying because the low refresh rate is visible and a MacBook trackpad always works at 60/second.

So I'm considering buying a Magic Trackpad 2 to solve this issues. If you have a Magic Trackpad 2 and a MacBook or a Magic Trackpad 1, could you please share your experience. What latency and refresh rate does Magic Trackpad 2 have compared to MacBook or Magic Trackpad 1?

Also how well does Magic Trackpad 2 battery feel after a long time? E.g. how much can the trackpad work on a single charge after 1 year of usage compared to the initial condition?

Posted on Mar 13, 2020 3:22 AM

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Answer 1

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OstapBender Author

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Apr 14, 2020 4:29 AM in response to OstapBender

I've got a Magic Trackpad 2 and measured its input lag:

Start lag: about 45ms
End lag: about 100ms

Also I've explored the smoothness too. I've found out that both Magic Trackpad 1 and Magic Trackpad 2 work at 60FPS on a 60Hz display but the movements are jittery: a movement is bigger on an odd frame than on an even frame. On a 75Hz display, they feel smoother, only every 5th frame has a small movement. The jitter happens when you just move the cursor too. Considering the facts above, I suppose that both trackpads work at 90FPS and macOS skips every 3rd trackpad frame on a 60Hz display and every 6th on a 75Hz display. Unfortunately I don't have a 90Hz display to check.

So the trackpads feel almost the same in terms of response latency and frequency. If you are looking for the quickest and smoothest experience, upgrading the trackpad won't help you. A built-in MacBook trackpad is the undoubtable number one.

But Magic Trackpad 2 feels more pleasant in general: the surface is bigger and more slippery, it's softer to click and it's the same soft on every point of the surface, the lower angle is more comfortable for wrist.

Conclusion: Magic Trackpad 2 provides an experience that is somewhere between Magic Trackpad 1 and a MacBook trackpad.

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Answer 2

OstapBender Author

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16 points

Mar 13, 2020 4:06 AM in response to OstapBender

P.S. I've measured the input lag.

When a finger starts moving, the MacBook Pro 2015 trackpad gives a delay about 32ms and the Magic Trackpad 1 about 48ms.
When a finger stops moving, the MacBook Pro 2015 trackpad gives a delay about 48ms and the Magic Trackpad 1 about 104ms.

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How low is the Magic Trackpad 2 latency?

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