Logitech Signature M650: A silent mouse that speaks volumes

Whether you’re working late into the night or sharing your workplace with others, quiet mice are the perfect solution for creating a productive environment free from distractions. We tested a few, including the best-selling one, and it turns out that compact mice are often painful to use after a day.

That’s why when Logitech launched the Signature M650 mouse, it caught our attention. For those who dream of a silent wireless mouse that is not tiny, this accessory is a small revolution.

Logitech Signature M650 – Best prices:

Available in a normal and wide version, for left and right-handers, as well as in a Business version, the new Signature M650 is sold at around 40 euros. We’ve used the large, right-handed Business model daily for a month and the verdict is clear: it’s the perfect mouse for business.

Configuration

When you unpack the M650, you quickly realize that it evolves in a different range than that of MX Master. The standard M650 comes in an all-plastic box and the professional model comes in a plain cardboard box. But beyond that, what matters of course is what’s inside. Each mouse comes with one AA battery and a LogiBolt USB receiver housed in the battery compartment. This slot, found on most wireless mice, allows you to store the dongle when traveling.

There are two ways to connect the M650 to your computer, tablet or phone: via Bluetooth and via LogiBolt. We used the mouse paired with a Logitech MX master keyboard, so connecting via Logibolt was our method of choice. Via this method, just toggle the power switch on the mouse and the computer should automatically detect it.

If you’re using a device running macOS, iPadOS, Chrome OS, Android, or Linux, Bluetooth pairing might be the best solution. That said, the compatibility of the M650 with different operating systems is quite impressive and surpasses that of many high-end mice, including the MX Master 3. We will detail its functions dedicated to professionals in a second step.

Design

The M650 is available in sizes M and L, as well as left-handed and right-handed configurations. Logitech recommends size M for people with small to medium hands (20 centimeters), and size L for larger hands. In our case, the large size was perfectly adequate, our hand being able to rest comfortably on the curves of the mouse. You can use this size chart to find your ideal size.

Picture: Logitech

One of the main draws of the M650 is Logitech’s SilentTouch technology, which you’ll be surprised at not hear when you click the left and right mouse buttons. Logitech claims that the M650’s keys are 90% quieter than those of its previous silent mice, and after using the mouse for a while, that seems to be true. Left and right clicks are almost entirely silent, but there’s still satisfying click feedback when pressed.

While not as crisp as the red Kailh switches typically found on gaming mice, the quietness the mouse brings is well worth the feel of others.

Two programmable buttons are present on the left side of the mouse (or right if it is the left-handed version). They are much more audible. By default, the top and bottom buttons are assigned to the previous and next functions. Thanks to the LogiOptions+ software, you can however reassign them to copy and paste, to increase or decrease the volume, and much more. The default options are however useful when you surf the web a lot.

In LogiOptions+ you can also adjust the pointer speed of the M650. One of the main reasons we opted for the Business model is the ability to adjust the speed from 400 to 4000 DPI (compared to 200 to 2000 for the normal model). DPI, or dots per inch, measures a mouse’s sensitivity. With a higher value, cursor movement is much more precise when browsing texts, editing photos, or playing games.

June Wan/ZDNet

The sides of the M650 feature rubber ridges, meant to give the thumb and little finger a firm grip when scrolling. Unfortunately, during our testing, the rubber slowly lost its grip after a month of use. Probably because of the oils and the sweat that accumulates on the fingers, but that is still not very encouraging for the future. You can clean the mouse with a light alcohol wipe from time to time, it will make it look and feel clean.

Finally, the M650 uses what Logitech calls its SmartWheel, a dynamic scroll wheel that can scroll freely or in notches. It’s not a flip mechanism like the MX-Series MagSpeed ​​wheel; simply tap the wheel to trigger fast scrolling.

Professional functions

After using the M650, it’s easy to see why Logitech considers it the mouse to choose for professional and business customers. At $44.99, the mouse is relatively affordable and comes with a host of productivity and security features that will be useful for all workers.

The first of these is the LogiBolt wireless technology. For desktop or remote use, the connection is fully encrypted using FIPS technology. Although we occasionally encountered stutters on the M650 connected via LogiBolt, the accessory never completely lost its connection and worked normally after each start.

Using LogiOptions+ software, business users can map the side buttons and scroll wheel to specific shortcuts in different applications. This means that the side buttons can, for example, mute the microphone during your Zoom meetings, or undo actions in Excel. The software for assigning buttons is particularly useful when creating spreadsheets, as it allows you to create rows and columns with a single click.

Capture: June Wan/ZDnet

In addition to silence and compatibility with many platforms, Logitech also boasts an autonomy of 24 months. Aggressive power management means the mouse goes into deep sleep mode after 30 minutes or more of inactivity. While this behavior significantly reduces battery consumption, the M650 takes about five seconds to wake up and recalibrate when motion is detected. We have sometimes confused this slight delay with a defect in the LogiBolt receiver or the mouse itself.

After a month of use, the mouse battery still shows 100% battery. And while it doesn’t support charging via USB-C, it does at least have the benefit of limiting the number of cables you need to carry around each time.

Conclusion

At $44.99, the Logitech Signature M650 is reasonably priced for the features and hardware it offers. It’s simple, reliable, quiet, and an exceptional travel mouse. It’s nice to see that Logitech continues to centralize its software ecosystem for its desktop devices, regardless of price range.

Source: “ZDNet.com”