On March 16th, reports surfaced that Apple's Butterfly Keyboard repair program is about to come to a close. Following the termination of this program, MacBook models equipped with the Butterfly Keyboard will no longer receive free repair services from the company.
Records indicate that in the spring of 2015, Apple introduced the 12-inch MacBook, boasting a thickness of merely 13.1mm, a significant reduction compared to the 17mm thickness of the MacBook Air at the time.
In pursuit of extreme thinness, Apple employed the Butterfly Keyboard design, drastically reducing the key travel from the traditional scissor-switch keyboards' 1.2mm to a mere 0.3mm.
This has resulted in what some describe as a "disastrous" outcome, with numerous users reporting failures with the MacBook butterfly keyboard, considered one of Apple's "most failed" designs of the past decade.
Industry insiders point out that the butterfly keyboard's susceptibility to failure is due to dust and debris easily getting trapped between the butterfly mechanism and the keycaps, leading to sticky or non-responsive keys.
Due to the butterfly keyboard, Apple faced a class-action lawsuit and ultimately settled for $50 million, reaching an agreement with users. Those participating in the claim will receive compensation ranging from $50 to $395.
In June 2018, Apple initiated a keyboard service program worldwide, offering up to four years of free repair service for MacBook models with the butterfly keyboard.
Most of the butterfly keyboard MacBook devices eligible for free repair service are no longer in production as of four years ago, so this program will come to an end this year.
