The rumoured super-sized 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019 will be the first to depart from the ill-fated butterfly keyboard, according to a new report on Thursday.
According to one high profile analyst, the company has earmarked the larger model as the first to switch back to a more reliable scissor switch keyboard and away from the slimmer butterfly mechanism that has caused so many problems with sticking keys, despite multiple iterations from Apple.
The word comes from Ming-Chi Kuo – often the first to report many of these new features – who says the rumoured 16-inch MacBook is on deck to arrive this autumn (via 9to5Mac).
Following that, all of the MacBook 2020 refreshes will include a regression back to the scissor switch keyboard, effectively condemning the butterfly mechanism to legacy models.
Whether Apple has managed to slim down the scissor switch mechanism remains to be seen. If not it’ll see a return to keys that protrude from the body of the laptop, which many users preferred anyway.
Read our review of the MacBook Pro 13-inch (2018)
All of Apple’s current models, including those new MacBook Air and MacBook refreshes outed this summer include the butterfly keyboard. In the past Apple has taken the unusual step of adding brand new models to a keyboard replacement program that enables users to get faulty keyboards fixed for fee.
Elsewhere, reports earlier this week claimed the 16-inch MacBook Pro could be in stores by October this year. Sources in the Far East claimed the laptop will have a 3072 x 1920 LCD display. Whether the device will include the Touch Bar and Touch ID sensor, alongside the more recent high-end MacBook releases is unknown. We’d hope so for the rumoured $3,000 price tag.
Regardless, if the device comes to fruition, it’ll be the largest screen on a MacBook since the company discontinued the 17-inch MacBook Pro way back in June 2012. For those working on fine photo and video edits, a 16-inch model could mean more freedom from the external monitor. Every inch counts.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.