Apple’s refreshed MacBook Pros were recently torn down by iFixit and what that revealed was that the company had taken a step to address the keyboard issues that have caused it much trouble.
It’s facing a class-action lawsuit because of the issues and has even launched a repair program for them. The new keyboard has silicone barriers to protect the switches underneath.
Apple initially claimed that the membrane was to make the keyboard quieter but an internal document reveals that they have been put there to prevent debris from jamming up the keyboard switches.
The document obtained by MacGénération mentions that the silicone membrane is there to protect the keyboard switches. The membrane helps “prevent debris from entering the butterfly mechanism.”
The U.S. version of the MacBook Pro Service Readiness Guide particularly links to a separate document titled “Butterfly Mechanism Keycap Replacement MacBook Pro (2018).”
That document clearly mentions that there’s a “membrane under the keycaps to prevent debris from entering the butterfly mechanism. Be careful not to tear the membrane. A torn membrane will result in a top case replacement.”
It’s unclear why Apple is not outright saying that it has put the membrane there to prevent issues that have irked a lot of users. Perhaps it would then amount to a tacit admission that its previous keyboard had a glaring flaw. Nevertheless, your next MacBook Pro’s keyboard will be well protected against debris.
Filed in . Read more about Keyboards and Macbook Pro.