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​Click, click, clack: Apple's MacBook Pro 2016 keyboard sounds all wrong to owners

What's behind the high-pitched noise on some keys on Apple's latest MacBook Pro 2016?
Written by Liam Tung, Contributing Writer

A growing number of MacBook Pro 2016 owners aren't happy with keyboard irregularities, most notably certain keys developing a higher-pitched click.

The keyboard on the MacBook Pro 2016 features Apple's second-generation "butterfly mechanism" beneath each key, which is meant to offer the most stable key experience to date.

The mechanism superseded the traditional scissor design of earlier Mac keyboards and first appeared in the 12-inch MacBook, but it was "meticulously refined for greater comfort and responsiveness" in the MacBook Pro 2016, according to Apple.

Be that as it may, a growing number of MacBook Pro owners are complaining about an uneven pitch between different keys.

One user has posted a video and recording demonstrating that pressing some keys returns an acceptable muted click sound, while the Caps Lock key returns a higher-pitched snap, reminiscent of a typewriter keystroke, albeit quieter.

The peculiar clack might be a minor annoyance to owners, but if it's as noticeable as the demonstration, they might be conscious of pressing the noisy key in a quiet place like the library, or in a cafe.

As MacRumors reports, the snappy key issue seems to occur when the laptop is warm, and several other owners have also been able to reproduce the issue in this state. However, others have reported the same issue on a cold Mac. One user reported that the snap-prone keys are Caps Lock, left Option, and occasionally the Delete, H, and C keys.

MacBook Pro owners have also reported several other issues with the keyboard, including non-responsive keys, keys that double-type, and an uneven feel, such as some keys feeling spongier than others.

MacRumors speculates the high-pitch key issue could be caused by something as simple as dust caught in the butterfly mechanism. One key on its own model displayed the problem, but cleared up by itself.

The publication notes that Apple is replacing Touch Bar models suffering from keyboard problems, while designating non-Touch Bar models for repair.

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