Teardown of Apple’s new 16-inch MacBook Pro reveals new scissor-switch keyboard in all its glory

Kevin Purdy, iFixit:

Your long butterfly keyboard nightmare is over. The new Magic Keyboard in the 16-inch MacBook Pro has an almost identical look and feel to much older Apple devices—so close, in fact, that you can swap in old Magic Keyboard keycaps. It feels like a do-over, a throwback, almost an apology.

After that four-year journey through the dusty badlands, we’ve arrived at a MacBook Pro that has a functioning keyboard, and isn’t functionally much thicker or heavier than those that didn’t. You can tell the difference if you compare them side-by-side, carefully; otherwise, it feels like a sleek, slim MacBook. We’re certain Apple was loath to give up on something Designed by Apple in California, but they heard the outcry of customers and came to a sensible solution: using a technology that worked and was (moderately) repairable.

MacDailyNews Take: Yesterday, our BTO 16-inch MacBook Pro shipments got moved up from November 27 – December 2 to November 22!

4 Comments

  1. I think the keyboard thing is a bit overblown. I’ve used the butterfly keyboard for three years with no problem. I think people are missing what I think IS the BIG deal – Apple is finally returning to offering users TRUE powerhouse options in MacBook Pros. Up to 64 Gig of RAM, 8TB of storage, THREE discrete graphics options, cutting edge processor choices – now that is exciting. Will be buying a new 16″ MBP on Black Friday!

    1. Literally everybody I know that owns a MacBook with the Butterfly keyboard has had or is having problems, despite repairs. This includes my wife new MacBook Air, now on its second keyboard, and all 8 MacBook Pro users at work. I have the 2019 MBP with the 2nd version of the 3rd iteration of the keyboard, and so far, it has not failed. I still don’t like typing on it. Its OK, but on a $4K laptop, I think I should get a “great” keyboard. I fully agree that these new MacBook Pros are actually Pro machines. So much so, that 5 months after buying the May MBP, I have already ordered a nearly maxed out 15 MPB. Besides the better GPUS, and the extra RAM and SD space, we finally get what appears to be a “great” keyboard. Imagine that!

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