The cool cats at iFixit have completed an initial teardown of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro and discovered an updated scissor mechanism that seems to be a massive improvement over the prior butterfly mechanism.
Over the past few years, Apple has taken hits over the butterfly keyboard mechanism found on its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks. The mechanism left the notebooks open to an ingress of debris, and even with the added protection of a silicone membrane around the mechanism, the notebooks received a significant number of complaints.
In the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple made the switch from the butterfly for a scissor-switch style it uses in the Magic Keyboard. Initial analysis of the keyboard on the 16-inch MacBook Pro reveals it has a much larger key travel than in models released in recent years, while at the same time generally being quieter than the mid-2019 keyboard.
The first phase of iFixit’s customary teardown confirms the shift away from the butterfly mechanism. The version found in the new 16-inch MacBook Pro is said to be “almost identical” to the switches found in the desktop Magic Keyboard, as well as pre-butterfly MacBooks.
The mechanism is formed from two plastic pieces that are crossed with a central pivot, and it’s noted that this is considered to be more robust than its butterfly equivalent. There’s also apparently 0.5mm more travel in the key to allow it to better handle loose debris. Unlike the later-gun butterfly keyboard, Apple has not included a silicone membrane within the device.
There is further strength in the way the keycaps connect to the switches. While 0.2mm thicker than previous versions, the clips attaching the keycaps to the switches are seemingly reinforced, reducing the chance of damage in heavy-duty usage or for disassembly for repair.
Apple has also updated its keyboard design to include a physical escape key, as well as altered the arrow keys to form an inverted-T, as well as created more space around the four keys.
Aside from improving the mechanism, Apple also updated the design to include a physical escape key, and altered the arrow keys to form an inverted-T, creating more space around the four keys.
iFix has stated that it anticipates releasing a full teardown of the 16-inch MacBook Pro on Monday.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and iFixit