Defective MacBook keyboard, class action against Apple

A popular petition has started in the United States to ask Apple for refunds after numerous problems experienced by users on Butterfly keyboards

A class action against Apple has exploded in the United States. The reason? Some defects in MacBook Pro keyboards. Users have found problems in using the keyboards of MacBooks produced since 2015 and MacBook Pros produced since 2016, so much so that they can no longer use their laptops.

The problems arise due to some defects that concern the mechanism butterfly, which in the plans of the Cupertino company should have improved the user experience. In reality, however, the mechanism has never received too many compliments from MacBook and MacBook Pro owners who, instead, are now on the warpath. Over the years, the complaints have been so many that users have gathered in a single "cartel" (more than 20 thousand signatures have already been collected) and are promoting a class action lawsuit so that Apple recognizes the design error and compensates the owners of Apple laptops.

What are the problems with the MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboard

As mentioned, the problem stems from the butterfly mechanism, which allowed the Cupertino company to reduce the thickness of the portals and (theoretically) improve the user experience of the keyboard. The mechanism, however, immediately proved to be too fragile, with thousands upon thousands of users forced to seek the care of Apple Stores in order to continue using their laptops.

Because of dust and other "debris" or wear and tear caused by excessive use, the keys on MacBooks manufactured since 2015 and MacBook Pro dated 2016 would lock or, even, fall out of their housing, thus rendering that key unusable. Zixuan Rao, one of the petitioners of the class action against Apple, tried to get his 15-inch MacBook Pro (purchased in January 2018) repaired, but with little success. The solution was to buy an external keyboard.

The class action against Apple

At the moment, the popular petition to convince Apple to recall all MacBooks and MacBook Pros with keyboard with butterfly mechanism has collected over 20 thousand signatures. Users complain of a design error that, at the slightest accumulation of dust under the key, would prevent recognition of the pressure on the keys and, therefore, the typing of text. For this reason, the class action lawsuit against Apple is seeking recognition of the design error and compensation for the cost of replacing the keyboard.

Apple has acknowledged some of the issues, but has assured that cleaning with a compressed air canister would solve most of the problems.