Has Apple ever fixed the BUTTerfly keyboard?

[HailAlistair]

Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017). The keyboard has been replaced less than a year ago and it's already experiencing various problems again (repeated keys, sticky keys, weird noises, general inconsistency and unreliability, etc.).

Is Apple replacing the 2017 keyboard with other 2017 keyboard that inevitably lead to the same problems after a while?
Are the 2018 or/and 2019 BUTTerfly Keyboards free or mostly free from the problems of the 2016-2017?

 

[Cape Wolf]

my 2017 MBP keyboard was replaced with another butterfly. I asked the same question in store. currently typing on it but looking forward to my new MBA coming simply for the keyboard change...

Cant say about the later model butterfly - I believed they added a silicon barrier under to prevent debris from causing issues with the keys?

 

[ght56]

They are all a train wreck. The 2016 and 2017 models are arguably the worst, but users report issues with later models as well. The keyboards they are using as replacements are not exactly identical to the originals--my 2017 that got a replacement keyboard a few months ago felt completely different to type on (which I assume is from that silicone layer). However, it is still the butterfly mechanism, it is still a hot mess, and it is still a design that even a company as capable as Apple could not make reliable.

If you are keeping it outside of the window where you are covered for replacement, I would be sure to clarify with Apple exactly how much an out-of-warranty replacement will be (i.e., will they charge you for a battery replacement, which is only $199, or will they charge you more money for a keyboard replacement even though the same parts are being replaced.)

 

[Natzoo]

Apple replacing the 2017 keyboard with other 2017 keyboard that inevitably lead to the same problems after a while?
Are the 2018 or/and 2019 BUTTerfly Keyboards free or mostly free from the problems of the 2016-2017?

To answer your question, yes Apple is replacing the defective keyboard with the same defective keyboard. The main reason why they got away from this is the majority of the public didn't cause a big enough scene.

The 2018 and 2019 still have the same issues, my 2018 has been replaced twice and I'm really worried about what I am going to do once the keyboard warranty ends. Not looking forward to paying close to $700 bucks every time my keyboard breaks, hopefully, people (maybe me included) can break away from the Apple ecosystem.

 

[HailAlistair]

To answer your question, yes Apple is replacing the defective keyboard with the same defective keyboard. The main reason why they got away from this is the majority of the public didn't cause a big enough scene.

The 2018 and 2019 still have the same issues, my 2018 has been replaced twice and I'm really worried about what I am going to do once the keyboard warranty ends. Not looking forward to paying close to $700 bucks every time my keyboard breaks, hopefully, people (maybe me included) can break away from the Apple ecosystem.

Is this even legal?

 

[Natzoo]

Is this even legal?

Sadly it is and it’s not just apple, it’s other companies too. For example, my vehicle has a headrest that can auto deploy due to a defective/cost cutting design and the auto manufacturer just Now replaces it with the same part when it fails. But it is a major safety hazard with documented injuries and expensive too.

 

[HailAlistair]

Sadly it is and it’s not just apple, it’s other companies too. For example, my vehicle has a headrest that can auto deploy due to a defective/cost cutting design and the auto manufacturer just Now replaces it with the same part when it fails. But it is a major safety hazard with documented injuries and expensive too.

The fact that other homicides happen, does not make a particular murder ok, or moral, or legal.

 

[Natzoo]

The fact that other homicides happen, does not make a particular murder ok, or moral, or legal.

I agree with you 100% but I doubt any change will happen until more people get publicly involved. It’s the sad reality mainly because of politics and i argue manipulation onto their consumers.

 

[leman]

The fact is, we don't know. It is possible that the latest versions of the butterfly keyboard are as reliable as any keyboard before, but given that butterfly turned out a PR disaster, they scraped it altogether. The only statistics we have suggest that butterfly keyboards break at a rate that's around twice as fast compared to the earlier scissor keyboards, and that was for the 2016-2017 versions. I haven't seen any data for later versions. We have purchased around 40 butterfly keyboard laptops in total over the years, 4 or 5 of them needed keyboards replacements (which is consistent with the 10% failure rate described by other sources).

 

[Fishrrman]

Q:
"Has Apple ever fixed the BUTTerfly keyboard?"

A:
No.
And they never will.