This is pretty nifty.
Within iFixit’s full teardown of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, the company located new features such as a new thermal architecture and a new “lid angle sensor” that presumably monitors the opening and closing of the notebook and the precise position of the lid.
The report also noted a magnet embedded in the hinge itself, an arrow indicating polarity.
While previous-generation MacBook Pro models have a Hall effect sensor that determines when the lid is closed for sleep/wake purposes, the lid angle sensor in the 16-inch MacBook Pro appears to be more sophisticated.
Apple’s service document doesn’t provide any specific clues as to why the sensor was redesigned, although iFixit has speculated that this could be a clever way for Apple to track the lid’s position. This could also inform the system as to whether the display or flex cables are frayed and need to be repaired.
Of note, in the event of a display repair, Apple’s service document indicates that technicians must calibrate both the display and the lid angle sensor in order for the repair to be considered complete.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.