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| - | [* black] What else changed? We think we spot some differences in the metal dome switches. The 2019 switch appears to have a slightly different color and surface finish than the 2018 version. |
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| - | [* black] This may be the result of a different surface treatment or heat treatment, or a completely different material. |
| - | [* black] Any of these changes could help mitigate the reliability issues plaguing butterfly keys. |
| - | [* black] The dome is like a Snapple bottle cap—you press down and it springs back up. Like a Snapple cap, if you press too hard, crack it, or press it too many times, the cap will eventually stop popping back up. |
| + | [* black] What else changed? We think the metal dome switch may have. Let's take a closer look. |
| + | [* black] The dome is like a really fragile Snapple bottle cap—you press down and it springs back up. Like a Snapple cap, if you press too hard, crack it, or press it too many times, the cap will eventually stop popping back up. |
| [* black] The dome must reliably deform and pop back up every time a key is pressed. If anything changes about the dome—if it's cracked or deformed—the key may behave erratically. Likewise, if the two center prongs break off the key will stop working. | |
| - | [* black] Heat treatment or alloy reformulation could strengthen the dome and prevent it from fatiguing and cracking or losing its springiness. |
| + | [* black] There are myriad reasons for the switch to crack or wear out—plain old fatigue, heat cycling, prolonged exposure to heat, moisture, outgassing from other parts, and corrosion are all possibilities. |
| + | [* black] Heat treatment or alloy reformulation could help mitigate some of these failures, but Apple may be struggling to figure out multiple problems caused by several failure modes acting together. |