Despite launch of keyboard repair program, Apple continues to sell affected MacBooks
Apple has officially launched a repair program for its much criticized butterfly mechanism-based MacBook keyboards. The new Keyboard Service Program for MacBook and MacBook Pro is offers four years of coverage for 12-inch MacBooks 2015 to 2017 models and both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros and 2016 to 2017 models. However, as Apple has yet update its 2017 MacBook and MacBook Pro models, it means Apple is continuing to sell models that could be affected by at least one of three issues it has identified.
According to Apple, it "has determined that a small percentage of the keyboards in certain MacBook and MacBook Pro" can exhibit faults. These faults include letters or characters that repeat unexpectedly, letters or characters that do not appear and/or key(s) that feel "sticky" or do not respond in a consistent manner. This includes the 12-inch MacBook (Early 2015), which featured a first-generation Apple-designed butterfly mechanism keyboard and the Early 2016 and 2017 12-inch MacBooks that featured a second-generation keyboard design.
Thus far, Apple has said nothing of a third-generation butterfly-mechanism, which seems to indicate that affected devices will be fitted with replacement parts or entire components made with the same faulty design. This could well leave users who have their keyboard replaced or repaired vulnerable to the potential issues recurring even after a repair. Apple says that models affected are covered by the Keyboard Service Program for four years after purchase, although this does not extend the general warrantly coverage for the devices.
While the launch of Keyboard Service Program for MacBook and MacBook Pro should have signalled the end of the issue, we may be hearing more about it in the future. Stay tuned.