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iFixit cracking open the new 16-inch MacBook Pro to see exactly what’s different with the Magic Keyboard

Before iFixit does its full teardown of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, today it has popped open the notebook to get a first look at the new scissor switch Magic Keyboard. We also get a quick look at the new thermal system, 100Wh battery, and more…

Here’s how Apple describes the new Magic Keyboard in the 16-inch MacBook Pro:

The new Magic Keyboard features a refined scissor mechanism with 1 mm travel for a responsive, comfortable, and quiet typing experience. The Touch Bar puts powerful shortcuts front and center, and Touch ID provides fast authentication. A dedicated Escape key allows quick switching between modes and views. And the inverted-T arrow keys enable fluid navigation whether you’re flying through lines of code, navigating spreadsheets, or gaming.

iFixit notes that as expected, the keys of the new scissor switch Magic Keyboard are very easy to pop off. That means it will be simple for users to clean out any debris that collects over time without having to take it in for a full keyboard replacement.

And the keys are the same size as the stand-alone Magic Keyboard, making it possible to pop white keys on the 16-inch MacBook Pro. However, the stand-alone Magic Keyboard keys are slightly thicker than those on the notebook.

iFixit said the 1mm key travel feels good and wouldn’t really want more or less travel for a notebook.

When comparing the scissor mechanisms, the stand-alone Magic Keyboard has a slightly different thickness than the MacBook Pro’s mechanisms. iFixit notes that both seem robust and resilient.

All in all, iFixit feels reasonably confident that MacBook keyboard woes should be resolved with the return to the tried and true scissor switch keyboard in the 16-inch Pro.

Other tidbits from the initial look include that Apple seems to have some extra room in the 16-inch MacBook chassis. It has hit the limit for the battery capacity at 100Wh to keep it acceptable on flights (per FAA) so iFixit notes we could see the future 16-inch MacBook Pro models slim down.

They also believe that Apple would have had room to make the RAM and SSD user-replaceable but that hasn’t been Apple’s style for a while now.

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Avatar for Michael Potuck Michael Potuck

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.


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