Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard Is Dead
With the latest product refresh, the long-awaited Magic Keyboard has finally made its way to Apple’s popular 13 inch MacBook Pro. First featured in Apple’s iMac Desktops, the Magic Keyboard was a welcome addition last November to one of Apple’s high end and newly introduced 16 inch MacBook Pro. In addition, Apple’s best selling and most affordable MacBook Air received the Magic Keyboard upgrade just last month in April. With the entire MacBook lineup updated with the Magic Keyboard, the old Butterfly Keyboard is officially dead.
So, why did Apple make the desperate switch to the Magic Keyboard on all of their MacBooks?
First, Apple reintroduced its portable 12 inch MacBook in 2015. Familiarly known as the Retina MacBook, the most notable features included an ultra-slim design and the switch to USB-C. With this generation of the Retina MacBook, Apple introduced its first-generation Butterfly Keyboard. Since the MacBook was so thin, Apple wanted to market such a thin notebook that featured a new and more unique typing experience on a keyboard. Since less “pros” were using this ultra-thin notebook, the issue with this design of a keyboard was just starting to brew.
In October 2016, Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro. The 13-inch and at the time 15 inch MacBook Pros received the same first generation Butterfly Keyboard. This release was the beginning of a nightmare for Apple.
Customers with Butterfly Keyboard begin experiencing “sticky keys” when typing on their notebooks. The leading cause of this occurs when dust and debris get under the keys. The keys would often get stuck and simply stop functioning. Some would even describe it as a catastrophic failure. Repairs at the Apple Store would take days, sometimes even weeks since entire keyboards needed to be replaced. However, Apple was not done yet.
In June 2017, just eight months after the MacBook Pro redesign, Apple quickly implemented the second-generation Butterfly Keyboard in its desperate refresh. This did not fix any of the issues that the first generation had.
In July 2018, after numerous cases of catastrophic failures, the third-generation butterfly keyboard was implemented on the MacBook Pro. It was later implemented on the highly anticipated MacBook Air redesign in October of the same year. One of the major components of this new generation was the silicone membrane that was under each individual key. This new feature allowed for dust and debris to not enter keys as easily. In addition, the silicone membrane could repel any dust or debris that might enter. Although this was a good change for this problematic keyboard, issues were not completely resolved for everyone. While some did not experience any issues, many others still experienced the same sticky key issue.
In mid-2019, the fourth and final generation of the Butterfly Keyboard was implemented on the MacBook Pro and the just redesigned MacBook Air. In hindsight, this was the final straw for Apple and their last attempt at this keyboard. Although fewer issues were reported, the Butterfly Keyboard had developed such a bad reputation for Apple’s notebooks. In addition, class action lawsuits were imposed on Apple for designing a poor keyboard with constant failures. Apple tried to help consumers by starting their keyboard replacement program. All Apple notebooks equipped with any generation of the Butterfly Keyboard, including the Retina MacBook, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, were entitled to free keyboard repairs by Apple.
Back in the present day, now we know why all of Apple’s notebooks have switched to the problem-free Magic Keyboard. Users are still able to experience a smooth typing experience with no issues regarding sticky keys.
Personally, I own a 15 inch MacBook Pro with the third-generation keyboard. My experience using this keyboard for the past two years have been almost problem-free. However, I am extra cautious around my MacBook due to the underlying issue with Apple’s design. I do want to try out the Magic Keyboard and there is no doubt that my next MacBook would feature the Magic Keyboard. The Butterfly Keyboard was definitely a learning experience for Apple. Hopefully, this misstep pointed Apple in the right direction on regaining their superiority in designing and building a well-refined machine.
