Tech Tunes!
The Apple Edition
Welcome to Tech Tunes, your bi-weekly edition (*lie!*) of tech-ly gossip. Today, your intrepid host shall be re-visiting some old fodder.
Apple’s name is synonymous with design, style and (ahem!) cost. People pay a premium for that fruity logo because they know they are gonna get a great product that looks beautiful and works effortlessly out-of-the-box. No installations, user configurations and add-ons necessary.
But nobody’s perfect. Here’s a story on what has been described as one of Apple’s “worst” technical design glitches, one that has troubled me personally; and a list of some of the known and perhaps lesser-known design and technical controversies at the tech giant.
First up, the story of the Butterfly Keys.
Butterfly Keys
Butterfly keys were introduced in the 2015/2016 to 2019 MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.
Keys on a keyboard are a source of user input. In general, keys consist of a key cap (the plastic cover that users’ fingers come in contact with), a mechanical contraption (also known as a switch) underneath that allows users the “pressing” motion (or, motion along the vertical axis when force is applied), and finally the electrical contact points that registers a press.
The ‘Butterfly Key’ technology refers to a series of key switches developed at Apple that are affixed with a butterfly-like mechanical leg, hence its name.
This invention was a departure from the usual scissor-like mechanical leg that was affixed to traditional keys, including the previous years’ MacBook* models.
The new keys were first introduced in March 2015 as part of the latest MacBook. Users soon began reporting problems with space-bars and other keys. Keys had trouble traveling downwards; they were “sticky” or “stuck”. Letters were double-typed or not typing at all.
Long story short, dirt was getting trapped in under the ‘wings’ of the butterfly and messing around with the switch’s ability to vertically transform user presses.
But Apple soldiered along with the release of its MacBook Pros (all adorned with Butterfly Keys) in October 2016. And the complaints continued rolling in unabated. Apple for the most part, was mum. The Butterfly Key controversy hadn’t reached full-blown exposure yet.
An article by tech journalist Casey Johnston for The Online in October 2017 congealed Apple’s Butterfly Keys as a tidy spot of trouble. The punch line — (paraphrased) “a little bit of dust could require you to change your MacBook’s entire top and bottom case”. Johnston’s experience at the Apple Store with Apple Geniuses trying to resurrect the “dead keys” on her laptop painted a vivid image of the frustrations users’ faced with their winged keys. Not to mention a hefty 700USD price tag at the end of what appeared to be a triviality.
Pushing back on parodies, petitions and a class-action lawsuit, Apple launched a Free Repair Program for the affected keyboards and a third-generation of Butterfly Keys in June and July of 2018 respectively. But, the problems persisted.
It was finally in March 2019 that Apple released the first acknowledgement that a problem existed, stating “We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry. The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard.” Seemingly in response to this press release, the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern and The Next Web’s Callum Booth unleashed derogatory-styled laments in the same month and July 2019 respectively about Butterfly Keys and the way Apple had failed to respond adequately since its release. Business Insider’s Lisa Eadicicco even collated a timeline of the Butterfly Key saga in April 2019.
Up till the time when Apple reverted to the old scissor-key mechanism, the tech company had defended and iteratively tweaked their baby, trying to make Butterfly Keys work. They released a “second-generation” version in 2016, and added a silicon membrane in 2018. This article from The Verge describes the timeline nicely. All to no avail, apparently, as users continued to have massive issues with the Butterfly Keyboard. Whilst Apple had acknowledged that some users may face issues with their keyboards and expanded its repair program; there had been no widespread recall or report released on exactly how many MacBook owners had been affected over the years.
Apple finally went back to the scissor-key switch mechanism with the introduction of its 16-inch MacBook Pro in November 2019. After all the attempted nip-tucks and band-aids, the winged issue was at long last laid to rest. Some called it the end of the butterfly key era. Some wanted all butterfly keys in the last five years’ models undone, for free. For most, it was good riddance.
Personally, butterfly keys type a lot worse than the traditional scissor keys. The point of butterfly keys was to allow laptops to be slimmer; but the lack of travel and also seeming lack of cushion is very uncomfortable. Even on the versions with the silicone membrane, the motion required to key seemed less like typing and more like touching.
Are my fingers used to having more travel, so they thump too hard on the thinner keys?
Whilst I haven’t had the experience of dead keys yet, butterfly keys have typed awkwardly enough for me to prompt the purchase of another keyboard. Yours truly has never bought additional gadgets unless absolutely necessary. The butterfly key in my home induced a search and research into switches, mechanical keyboards, and resulted in the purchase of a retro-looking Lofree keyboard.
Is this love? That you put up with an imperfect thing by supplementing it with another possession?
That you spend hours complaining about it, hoping the one responsible will change it.
Now, a list of the runner-ups. Some were the headiest news in the day, becoming natural over the years. Others remain pain points.
The Notch
Ahh, the (in)famous notch. In this case, one might say Apple got the last laugh. The notch appeared in 2017 on the iPhone X. When it first appeared, I was one of the skeptics. There was a bonanza of jokes on receding hairlines. But by 2018, “the notch became mainstream, appearing on dozens of new flagship phones from that year” according to this Business Insider article.
Sound No More
Apple removed the headphone jack from its iPhone 7 line. It ruffled feathers in 2016 but now — no one’s missing it. Here are two Forbes articles that explains, in time, rather than retroactively why this was a sound, pardon the pun, decision.
It’s A Port Affair
The tech giant decided to swap out the largish USB Type-A ports for USB Type-C ports starting in 2015 with its 12-inch MacBook; followed by the MacBook Pros in 2016. The switch meant these new USB-C laptops had to be purchased with USB-C adapters, which of course raised some suspicion on the business intent of the upgrade. Technically, the USB-C ports and cables promised a higher USB 3.0 transfer rate of up to 640MBps, about 10x as fast as the USB 2.0 transfer rate of 60MBps.
To MagSafe or Not To MagSafe
Apple removed their MagSafe charger with the sweeping introduction of the USB-C ports for their MacBook* range. But they’ve recently introduced it to their iPhone 12 range. Observers speculate that this could foreshadow an increasingly port-less future on the iPhone line.
Charge This, Please
The Magic Mouse is charged by inserting the cable into the flat side of the mouse — rendering the mouse useless whilst charging, as it lays flat side up, flailing like a helpless seal. I was first introduced to this design shortcoming in this Linus Tech Tips role reversal video with iJustine.
At the time of writing, it’s still an issue. Too small to be pursued? Or would having an opening on the pristine surface of the mouse ruin aesthetics? iJustine suggested some kind of wireless (optional, magnetic) charging on a charging pad. Seems like these guys have the same idea. Someone’s even drawn up a list of options.
Final Thoughts
These were interesting examples to read about and research on. To me, they seemed more exceptions that proved the rule though. People are allowed to be silly; even large tech companies. Especially if it’s in the pursuit of pushing the envelope and chasing perfection. A license not to be taken for granted.
So long as it doesn’t happen too frequently, you can get away with it when your competitors don’t offer a more seamless experience. I’m still considering upgrading my 5S (that still works) to one of the latest iPhone 12 models, as it stands.
Sources
I’ve used a variety of online sources as references for this article. Those of particular importance, or not linked directly in the article are listed here. They are not exhaustive.
