Logitech MX Anywhere 3S: New Mobile Mouse Has Quieter Clicks and 8K DPI Optical Sensor

As is typical for a Logitech “S” product update, its new compact MX Anywhere 3S wireless “mobile” mouse doesn’t look any different from its predecessor. However, it offers some performance upgrades, notably quieter operation and an upgraded 8,000 DPI optical sensor that Logitech says tracks on most surfaces including glass and offers faster workflow with high-resolution monitors. The new mouse ships in June in graphite, pale gray and rose colors for $80 (£65, AU$130).

Like its predecessor, the MX Anywhere 3, Logitech positions the MX Anywhere 3S as a premium Bluetooth travel mouse as well as an everyday mouse for those with smaller hands (it’s an ambidextrous mouse so you can use it with either your left or right hand). Weighing 95 grams, it’s considerably lighter and smaller than Logitech’s $100 flagship MX Master 3S (141 grams), which also has an 8K DPI optical sensor and the quiet clicks feature. The MX Anywhere 3 has a 4K DPI optical sensor.

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The MX Anywhere 3S is available only in a universal version that works with Windows, MacOS, iPadOS (13.4 or higher), Android (9.0 or higher), ChromeOS and Linux computers via Bluetooth (the MX Anywhere 3 also comes in a Mac version targeted at Apple users). For better or worse, Logitech’s Logi Bolt USB dongle is no longer included but you can still connect up to three devices via Bluetooth and switch between them by tapping a button on the bottom of the mouse. Logitech says the laptop and mobile device users who tend to buy its MX Anywhere mice tend not to use the dongle and opt for Bluetooth instead, so it left the dongle out though you can request one with the company if you really want one (the mouse is compatible with Logi Bolt). 

I’ve used the earlier MX Anywhere 3 off-and-on for the last year or so with my laptop and it’s a great travel mouse — maybe the best out there — and features very good ergonomics and performance, plus good customization options via the Logi Options Plus app. While the new updates aren’t exactly game changers that would give an MX Anywhere 3 owner like me a burning reason to upgrade, you can definitely hear the difference when it comes to the quieter clicks. That said, but those clicks sound muffled but aren’t completely silent. The difference in optical sensors is harder to discern but a higher DPI sensor can come in handy when you’re using a high-resolution display with your cursor tracking faster across the screen.

The mouse is equipped with the same smooth MagSpeed electromagnetic scroll wheel that “zips through 1,000 lines per second with accuracy to stop on a pixel and auto-shifts between ratchet and free spin mode,” according to Logitech. The MX Anywhere 3S doesn’t have a side scroll wheel but you can hold either of the side buttons while scrolling with the scroll wheel to scroll horizontally, which spreadsheet jockeys will appreciate. Those side buttons also have predefined app-specific settings. For instance, in Zoom and Microsoft Teams, the forward button starts and stops your video and the back button mutes and unmutes your microphone.

Battery life is rated at up to 70 days on single charge and you can get around 3 hours of use from a 1-minute charge via the USB-C charging port. With my MX Anywhere 3, I tend to have to recharge after about a month, but that’s with with pretty heavy use. 

I’ve been impressed with how the MX Anywhere 3 has held up over time — and, as I said, the MX Anywhere 3S appears to have the same design. The silicone side grip, which is pleasing to the touch and offers a nice grip, shows some slight wear in spots but is mainly in very good shape. No carrying case or pouch is included but it survived just fine after I stored it in smaller compartment in my backpack and sometime the side pocket of my slim laptop cover. 

Like a lot of companies embracing sustainability directives, Logitech says this latest iteration of the MX Anywhere mouse incorporates a higher percentage of recycled plastic in its plastic components: 78% for the graphite version and 61% for pale gray and rose colors.

At the time it launched the MX Anywhere 3S, Logitech also unveiled the MX Keys S ($110), an upgraded version of its MX Keys keyboard that features better battery life, an improved key layout, customizable backlighting and a new Smart Actions feature that allows how to create shortcuts with a single keystroke via the Logi Options Plus app. The MX Anywhere 3S mouse also support the Smart Actions feature.