“If the latest iPhone battery replacement controversy hadn’t generated enough bad publicity for Apple, the company now faces another issue: demands to fully recall and replace the keyboards on current-generation MacBook Pro laptops,” Jeremy Horwitz reports for VentureBeat. “A new petition has already gathered hundreds of signatures, claiming that ‘[e]very one of Apple’s current-gen MacBook Pro models … is sold with a keyboard that can become defective at any moment due to a design failure.'”
“Apple controversially debuted a new ‘butterfly’ keyswitch design in its ultra-slim 12-inch MacBook before incorporating an improved second-generation version in 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pros,” Horwitz reports. “Initial complaints over the MacBook keyboard focused mostly on noticeably reduced key travel, which professional writers found frustrating. The subsequent MacBook Pro version remedied that issue by restoring much of the key travel, though some critics maintained that the typing experience remained sub-par compared with prior MacBook Pro keyboards.”
“After months of use, however, even otherwise satisfied users began to report sticky and unresponsive keys. Dust and other particles normally found on hands were slipping under the keys and gumming them up, in some cases temporarily, in others permanently,” Horwitz reports. “Users seeking fixes discovered that Apple repairs would be incredibly expensive — in the $700 range — and time-consuming, as the keyboard isn’t user-serviceable.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Cupertino, we’ve got a problem. Again.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s MacBook Pro keyboards said to be failing twice as frequently as older design – May 1, 2018
MacBook Pro: The butterfly keyboard effect – April 26, 2018
Where Apple’s reinvention of the keyboard may go next: Full touchscreen – March 14, 2018
Apple’s design decisions and iPhone batteries – January 8, 2018
Hey Apple, it’s time to give up thinness for bigger, longer-lasting batteries – January 6, 2017
Apple in talks to acquire Australian startup Sonder for dynamic key-morphing Magic Keyboard – October 13, 2016
At this point, why make iPhone any thinner? – January 8, 2016
Open thread: What’d be wrong with slightly thicker iPhone with more battery life and a flush camera assembly? – December 21, 2015
Can “PRO” mean THICK with goodness from now on,,, like a working keyboard, and thick long life battery and ALL THE POSSIBLE ports known to man???? ,,, and finally see Apple Lose their obsession with everything being THIN for no reason? I’m not even sure its perceived as cool… i think its perceived as CHEAP,,, like that Apple doesn’t want to give away the ports etc.. and wants to sell you add on dongles.
The first thing anyone does with their thin phone is Put a Case on it, making it THICKER, The second? Complain about the battery life! My IMac needed accessible parts, not to be thinner, I have 2 feet of space behind my imac, being thin means nothing. My Macbook Pro needed extended battery life (WHICH WE’D all PAY EXTRA FOR) not thinness, Have you ever seen how thin the batteries are now? It also needed Ports to plug ALL things in,,, Do a Double Stuff like OREOS,, people WANT it and will Pay,
SO THAT GOES FOR THE KEYBOARD TOO!
My god, Fire the entire tired fat lazy design team now…
And one last thing, Please offer a 17″ MBP… that would be a pro feature. Imagine their profits if they just made sensible products. That just worked!
Thank you! I found someone who thinks like me.
My 2016 battery life sucks. If I want ultra thin, I use my iPad Pro 2017 model.
When I’m out and about and I need to do real work, I need more battery life. I’ll definitly take a thicker computer than a “it looks so pretty” computer any day.
Wish Apple would start getting it together. I’m so done with Cooks Apple.
Yes, I’m crushed that my 17″ MBP finally bit the dust with a failed main board a few months ago. As for my new 15″ MBP, I’m actually more concerned with how erratic my trackpad is than the keyboard.
If you’re experience the thing where your pointer jumps all over the place causing you to type in the Wong place and stuff, I found turning off Tap to Click and Secondary Click stopped the issue fore me.
Yep, it’s a problem 8 months and my “f” key is failing already. Butterfly keyboard is garbage!
if you’re in CA, Girard Gibbs LLP has a class action investigation! Are you in CA and interested?, let me know!
if you’re in CA, Girard Gibbs LLP has a class action investigation! Are you in CA and interested?, let me know!
Just got my 2016 MacBook Pro back from Apple. The logic board and screen were constantly popping like a static electric discharge would happen as I would work.
I said I didn’t pay $2500+ tax to have a computer pop on me like crazy.
They fixed it because it was under Apple care but the price for the repair was almost $1,000 for parts and labor.
Apple still refuses to admit this is a hardware defect even though there are tons of YouTube videos showing this problem and there is a huge forum on Apples own website of people having this problem.
Not cool Apple….not cool at all. At least admit there is a problem and that you’ll fix your engineers electrical mistake.
Look no further than the fact that Apple still sells its 15″ 2015(!) Macbook Pro NEW. Ports, keyboard feel, reliability and overall solid hardware is far more important to most pros than thinness and the latest processors. If Apple still sold the 2015 15″ with discrete graphics for $2000 it’d be their bestselling 15″ Pro, even in 2018.
My next new MBP will be a used or refurb 2015 with discrete graphics. I write several thousand words per day and the butterfly keyboards suck if you want to actually type on them. I have a spare external Model M keyboard but prefer to use the built in since I type at odd hours and places.
I have a both a 2016 MBP and a 2015 12 inch MB. I love my MB, it goes everywhere with me but the spacebar is a mess. I’ve had it fixed once but it’s still not perfect.
I’ve not had any issues with the MBP keyboard but since I use it professionally in the theatre, I honestly don’t type on it very much.
I hope Apple does something to recall the keyboards in the 2015 MB computers though even it it’s upgrading them to the Butterfly 2 which is much better…