I have been using the Logitech MX Master 3 for a long time. Long enough that it has scrolled through more edit timelines than I can count, and long enough that I know exactly where it falls short.
Let me be clear: I loved that mouse. The battery life was great, the design fit my hand, and it survived a long stretch of daily editing without much complaint. But it was not perfect. It picked up dirt spots that never really came off, the button count always felt a little limited for editing work, and a few quirks crept in over time. Nothing dramatic. Just enough friction that when Logitech released the MX Master 4 for Mac, I had to test it.
In the video above I unbox the MX Master 4, share my first honest impressions, and go through what is actually new. This post covers the same ground in writing, so you can decide whether the upgrade makes sense for you.
Why I Was Ready to Move On From the MX Master 3
Three things pushed me to look at the new one. First, the dirt spots. My MX Master 3 collected grime in a way no amount of wiping fully fixed, and on a tool that sits in my hand all day, that bothered me more than it probably should. Second, the buttons. When you spend your days editing, every shortcut you can move from the keyboard to your mouse hand saves real time, and the 3 always felt a button or two short. Third, the small quirks that showed up with age and slowly chipped away at the “this mouse is perfect” feeling I had early on.
None of that made the MX Master 3 a bad mouse. It just made me very curious whether Logitech actually fixed the things long-term users notice, or simply changed the shape and called it new.
Unboxing and First Impressions
I picked up the Mac version, since my edit machine is a Mac. Out of the box, it is recognizably an MX Master. If you have used the 3, nothing here will confuse you. But the shape has been reworked. Logitech calls it an ergonomic redesign, and I share my first reaction to how it feels in the hand in the video.
I will say what I always say about first impressions: they are first impressions. A mouse proves itself over months of edit days, not in the first hour. But the first hour matters too, because that is when you notice whether something feels like an upgrade or just feels different. My full unfiltered reaction is in the video above.
The Extra Button and Haptic Shortcuts
Here is what is actually new on the MX Master 4 compared to my 3:
- An extra button, which addresses one of my main complaints directly
- A haptic feature with customizable shortcuts
- An ergonomic redesign of the body
- The legendary 70-day battery life
The extra button and the haptic shortcuts are the changes I care about most. I spend my days in an editing timeline, and the difference between a mouse with enough buttons and one without is dozens of small trips back to the keyboard every hour. Being able to map shortcuts to the mouse and get haptic feedback when you trigger them is the kind of feature that sounds like a gimmick on paper and becomes a habit in practice, assuming it works as advertised. I talk more about the customization in the video.
Ergonomics and the 70-Day Battery
Battery life was one of the things I loved about my MX Master 3, so I paid attention here. The MX Master 4 promises the legendary 70-day battery life, and that number is a big part of why these mice are easy to live with. For a working editor, mouse battery is something you only think about when it dies, usually mid-session, usually on a deadline. Seventy days means it basically never crosses your mind.
The ergonomic redesign is the part I can judge least on day one. Hand feel is personal, and it reveals itself slowly over long edit days, not in an unboxing. My first impression is in the video. My long-term verdict will take a few weeks of real edit days.
Verdict: Should You Upgrade From the MX Master 3?
If your MX Master 3 is clean, working, and you never feel short on buttons, you probably do not need to rush. The 3 is still a very good mouse, and “newer exists” is not a reason to spend money.
If, like me, yours has picked up dirt spots, you have run into its quirks, or you keep wishing for one more mappable button, the MX Master 4 addresses exactly those complaints: an extra button, haptic shortcuts, a reworked shape, and the legendary 70-day battery life. On Mac specifically, this version is the one to look at.
These are first impressions, not a long-term review. Ask me again after a couple of months of real use. But based on the unboxing and the feature list, it looks like Logitech fixed the right things instead of just changing the silhouette.
If you want to look at current pricing while you decide, this is the listing I used. Check the current price on Amazon
And if you are curious what else earns a spot on my desk, from cameras down to small stuff like this mouse, the full list is on my gear page.
