Keyboard in 2018 MacBook Pro will not be used for repair of earlier models
Apple's third-generation butterfly switch keyboard will only be used on the 2018 MacBook Pro, with owners of earlier models unable to get the updated keyboard as a replacement under the company's service programs or as part of a repair.
The 2018 MacBook Pro keyboard, claimed by Apple to be quieter than the second and first-generation butterfly switch designs used in the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro and MacBook releases, won't be offered to owners of earlier models if they are brought into an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for servicing.
Confirmed by AppleInsider sources within Apple corporate not authorized to speak on behalf of the company, the earlier MacBook Pro units will receive the same keyboard design as they already have, not the new version. At this time, only the 2018 MacBook Pro will receive the new design if maintenance is required.
It is unclear why the keyboards cannot be updated, but it is likely the rest of the "upper case" that the keyboard is attached to has some changes in the 2018 version that makes it incompatible with earlier models.
There have been a number of cases where the butterfly key mechanism has caused keyboard issues for the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro, as well as the MacBook, including repeated characters, unresponsive keys, and other similar issues. The problems prompted Apple to launch a keyboard service program for the issue, with affected users able to receive free servicing on their notebooks.
The new keyboard is touted as being quieter while typing, likely in part due to the addition of a silicone membrane surrounding each butterfly mechanism. It is plausible the membrane could help prevent dust and debris from interfering with the mechanism, with the lower volume potentially being a side effect of its inclusion.
The membrane is not a perfect seal, however. There are gaps to allow the keycap to connect to the keyboard, and a larger one in the center of the cap.
Other than the membrane, there does not appear to be any changes made to the mechanism itself. It remains to be seen if the issues from the 2016 and less in the 2017 models will continue to manifest at the same rate, or if the membrane can prevent them from happening.
The exclusivity of the new keyboard was first reported by MacRumors, but with later confirmation by AppleInsider's own sources.
The 2018 MacBook Pro keyboard, claimed by Apple to be quieter than the second and first-generation butterfly switch designs used in the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro and MacBook releases, won't be offered to owners of earlier models if they are brought into an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for servicing.
Confirmed by AppleInsider sources within Apple corporate not authorized to speak on behalf of the company, the earlier MacBook Pro units will receive the same keyboard design as they already have, not the new version. At this time, only the 2018 MacBook Pro will receive the new design if maintenance is required.
It is unclear why the keyboards cannot be updated, but it is likely the rest of the "upper case" that the keyboard is attached to has some changes in the 2018 version that makes it incompatible with earlier models.
There have been a number of cases where the butterfly key mechanism has caused keyboard issues for the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro, as well as the MacBook, including repeated characters, unresponsive keys, and other similar issues. The problems prompted Apple to launch a keyboard service program for the issue, with affected users able to receive free servicing on their notebooks.
The new keyboard is touted as being quieter while typing, likely in part due to the addition of a silicone membrane surrounding each butterfly mechanism. It is plausible the membrane could help prevent dust and debris from interfering with the mechanism, with the lower volume potentially being a side effect of its inclusion.
The membrane is not a perfect seal, however. There are gaps to allow the keycap to connect to the keyboard, and a larger one in the center of the cap.
Other than the membrane, there does not appear to be any changes made to the mechanism itself. It remains to be seen if the issues from the 2016 and less in the 2017 models will continue to manifest at the same rate, or if the membrane can prevent them from happening.
The exclusivity of the new keyboard was first reported by MacRumors, but with later confirmation by AppleInsider's own sources.
Comments
Nothing Apple has ever done has ever addressed all the complaints; I don’t think they should bankrupt themselves trying.
If it can fit earlier models but Apple isn't allowing it, I think people will feel rightly petplexed.
If the new part is 100% compatible with affected models and is actually better, why not retire the old part!
This is Apple after all.
Perhaps it would be nice if Apple just came out and said, 'we had a quality control issue that has been remedied'.
Can you think of a reason why that hasn't happened yet?
Don't worry, I'll just know you'll reply with "it's not for me to think of the reasons".
Which bit haven't they been clear about?
Is it a widespread problem? They said no.
Is the silicon membrane for keeping dust out? They said no, it's to fix the problem with the key noise.
Will you be using the new keyboard to fix the older model laptops. They said no, because no manufacturer is going to replace your keyboard because you happen to think it's too noisy.
The problem isn't them being unclear; the problem is that you choose not to believe them, which you're free to do, but that's not the same as being unclear.
Now lots of people have come up with the theory that Apple is being cagey because they're afraid of a class action.
Let's just parse that for a moment:
Apple
is
afraid
of
a
class action.
Whut?
This company has about ten class actions and legal cases running against it at any one time. It has fought the government, Samsung, Qualcomm, Microsoft, the EU and just about everybody else.
Last year, they held their hands up (God knows why, folk should learn to read) concerning the throttling of the phone to prevent it from shutting down, and they did that even though they know that every slimy lawyer would crawl from the sewer to get a piece. They admitted that Maps wasn't up to par even though they knew that it was highly likely someone would sue them for … well … something.
They have faced legal action time and time again over the product that forms the backbone of their revenue stream, so I find it a little odd that they would be afraid of a lawsuit over a product line that, let's face it, is not their main bread and butter.
Only thing to do here is wait for the teardown on the new keyboard and see what's what. If they have put silicon in there, then that's fishy; if it looks exactly the same except the composition of the frame is different, then Gruber is right: a manufacturing partner used metal that wasn't up to spec.
If they replace them and they break again with the same problem, then we'll soon know about it.
If Gruber is right, something has gone horribly wrong. Apple sets tolerances and composition requirements. Suppliers constantly carry out checks to make sure batches meet those requirements. There can always be problems even with these checks but we're talking about coverage for every butterfly keyboard ever made. Not some batches. Also, Apple has said only a small percentage of keyboards will be affected. Are we to suppose that this small percentage cannot be traced?
Right now, and in spite of what Apple says, everything points to a design problem. Not least because if what Gruber suspects were true, all Apple has to do is say exactly that and leave everyone reassured that the replacement keyboards do not have the same issues as the ones they are replacing.
In all likelihood Apple has assigned a numerical threshold to determine whether a product that is seeing failures in-service requires a deep dive forensic quality review and/or consideration of remedial and corrective actions like product recalls or part replacement. In fact, Apple's recurring language about "very low numbers" leads me to believe that the observed failure rates are well below the absolute threshold that they have assigned to the part in question. I'd also bet that the absolute numbers that they've applied are at least as good or better than industry norms and are based on sound reliability engineering principles and practice. If Apple came up with reliability estimates that were not realistic based on the reliability of underlying components they'd be doing a great disservice to their customers. In other words, Apple's absolute judgement numbers are deterministic and not pulled out of thin air or their butt.
The problem here could be that those who are critical of Apple's operational behaviors have assigned their own and more rigid and lower failure rate threshold than what Apple has assigned. Why would they do this? Perhaps they hold Apple to a higher standard than what Apple holds itself to - for whatever reasons, including lack of knowledge, unrealistic expectations, or personal experience with other Apple products. Apple's reactions to previous quality issues that were also below Apple's quality thresholds but were still addressed by Apple also come into play, like the iPhone 4 antenna nothingburger. When Apple caved on the antenna nonissue and gave away free bumpers they also recalibrated many people's relative judgement of what constitutes an issue that requires action by Apple.
This theory has nothing to do with whether or not there is a quality issue with the keyboards in question. What it does warn us about is what happens when customer's expectations result in the goalposts constantly being moved further and further away and continuously narrowed down. When does "very low failure numbers" become unacceptable and "any failure" substituted? Yes, everyone wants zero failures and perfect quality, i.e., absolute perfection. But there's a cost to be paid for the pursuit of absolute perfection, whether with products or with people. The law of diminishing return tells us that the pursuit of absolute perfection will ultimately drain your resources and leave you forever miserable.
Like many companies, Apple knows how to make a reliable keyboard, but if they want to push the envelope for weight and thinness, they need to make sure the product will still get the job done. There are almost no moving parts left on these things now, so it makes a lot of sense to double-down on keyboard reliability.
- Previous keyboards had an issue with high failure rates that seem to be associated with debris
- Apple doesn't admit a design issue but implements a replacement program
- There are some reports of a bad allow causing problems with the previous keyboard design.
- Apple files a patent for an updated keyboard design with a silicone insert stating that it makes the keyboard more resistant to debris
- Apple implements the new keyboard in the new MacBook models touting quieter action but making no mention of debris
- Demonstrations surface showing that the new keyboard is indeed more resistant to debris
I think it's a given that Apple would/will not admit that there's a design flaw in the old keyboard, even if one existed. Not only does that go against their previous history of dealing with issues like these, but it would also potentially open them up to liability. Apple is not unique here; the majority of companies would follow the same protocol, so you can't criticize Apple on this point, but the fact that they implemented a replacement problem is a pretty good indicator that they thought there was a problem.So at this point, there are two likely scenarios - either there was a manufacturing defect with the alloy or a design defect allowing the intrusion of debris. From the available evidence, the latter seems to be the more likely.