Kensington’s Next-Gen Expert Mouse Trackball Surfaces—But Is It Actually Coming?
Trackballs were once a widely used alternative to traditional mice, but over time, they’ve become something of a niche product, with only a few major manufacturers still producing them. Among the most well-known models is Kensington’s Expert Mouse, a trackball that has remained largely unchanged for over a decade. Now, it looks like a brand-new version has surfaced—but it’s unclear if (or when) you’ll actually be able to buy it.
The Kensington Expert Mouse TB800 EQ was spotted on the iF Design Awards website, where it won a 2025 iF Design Award (as reported by Liliputing). The design follows the familiar Expert Mouse layout, with a large, central trackball, a surrounding scroll ring, and four main buttons. However, it introduces several modern features that could make it one of the most significant updates to the trackball market in years.
New Features and Upgrades
From the available images and description, here’s what appears to be new:
- Scroll bars on both sides, making it more ambidextrous and improving navigation.
- DPI adjustment buttons, allowing users to fine-tune sensitivity for different tasks.
- Bluetooth and USB dongle connectivity, offering multi-device pairing and more wireless flexibility.
- Customizable function buttons, possibly the textured ones at the top, which may support up to 16 programmable actions.
- A front USB port, suggesting a shift from AA batteries to a rechargeable internal battery.
While the improvements look promising, the biggest question remains: Is this an actual upcoming product, or just a design prototype?
When (or If) Will It Be Released?
The iF Design Awards listing states that the Expert Mouse TB800 EQ was “launched” in 2024, but that doesn’t seem to be accurate. So far, Kensington has not officially announced the new model, nor has it shown up in any product listings or press releases.
One issue with award listings like this is that they often include a mix of finalized products and concept designs, some of which never reach the market. While the images look like polished promotional shots, there’s always the possibility that something happened during development that could delay—or even cancel—the product altogether.
For now, trackball enthusiasts will have to wait for official confirmation from Kensington. If this next-gen Expert Mouse does get released, it could finally bring long-overdue upgrades to one of the most beloved trackballs on the market. But until we hear more, it remains a mystery whether this redesign will ever reach store shelves.