Apple Changes MacBook Butterfly Keyboard After User Complaints -- Update
May 21 2019 - 3:31PM
Dow Jones News
By Joanna Stern
Stop me if you've heard this before: Apple Inc. is promising to
fix the MacBook keyboard issues. Yes, again.
Apple on Tuesday said it was changing a material used in its
butterfly keyboards and expanding its keyboard-repair program. The
program previously covered first- and second-generation keyboards,
but now includes coverage of the third-generation keyboards
introduced last year on MacBook Air and high-end MacBook Pro
models.
At the same time, Apple upgraded its line of MacBook Pros.
Users of all generations of Apple butterfly keyboard have
reported missed keystrokes and double presses of keys. When I
sought answers from Apple about the issues I've had on my own
MacBook Air earlier this year, and detailed the types of problems
that other users were also reporting, the company apologized. It
said only a small number of users are experiencing the issues.
IHS Markit, a global market-research firm, said Apple shipped
over 40 million laptops world-wide between 2016 and 2018, and the
majority had butterfly keyboards.
For people who are having issues, Apple's news can be broken
into two pieces that may be of use:
-- Changing materials. The company said it has made a change to
a material in the keyboard mechanism. Apple didn't say what
specifically changed but said it would help with the double
key-press issue. The newly announced MacBook Pros -- shipping
Tuesday -- will have this new material.
-- Improving repairs. All Mac laptops with butterfly keyboards
are now eligible for Apple's program and are covered for up to four
years after the original purchase. Apple said it is also shortening
the repair time, which previously could take a week.
The best news? Apple said the fix it is providing to qualifying
MacBook models with third-generation keyboards will include the new
material. Of course, we will have to see whether that is the
solution we have been waiting for.
When asked if it would continue to use the butterfly keyboards
in future models, the company declined to comment on future
products. The keyboard is only one of several recent
product-related problems Apple has had, from iPhone battery
software issues to shipment delays of the HomePod and AirPods to
the cancellation of my absolute favorite Apple product that never
was, the AirPower wireless charger.
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Write to Joanna Stern at joanna.stern@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 21, 2019 15:16 ET (19:16 GMT)
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