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The 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro could be getting an improved keyboard

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Apple just announced a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with an improved “Magic Keyboard” and bigger slim bezel display, but there could be another new MacBook on the way soon. According to the latest rumors, you might be seeing a 13-inch MacBook with an improved scissor keyboard in the first half of 2020.

This latest rumor comes via a report from DigiTimes, which has been known for reliable Apple-related leaks in the past. As obtained by MacRumors, the publication’s original report mentions that the keyboard on this new MacBook will switch over to the new scissor-style mechanism, but the device itself will keep a similar build and design as the older model.

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Apple has long been on a journey to improve the keyboard on its MacBooks. The company had previously patented several keyboard-related technologies, one of which includes keycaps with reduced thickness, and another for a low-travel key mechanism. In both cases, Apple was looking to either create a more durable keyboard, or improve on an existing one.

iFixIt

The “Magic Keyboard” on the new MacBook Pro 16-inch delivers on some of these patents. It features 1mm of key travel and its keys are slightly more stable thanks to a new “rubber dome” inside the keycap. This rubber dome is able to store more potential energy and create more responsive key presses — a change from the plastic membrane in the older butterfly-type keyboard.

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Online repair manual iFixIt has tore down the new “Magic Keyboard” and found that it delivered on these promises, and “is a step in the right direction”  in that it is similar to the older 2015 physical magic keyboard accessory. So, it will be interesting to see how this can apply to the 13-inch MacBook model as well.

Regardless, if this latest rumor holds up to be true, this would also be quite an interesting move for Apple. Despite the problems users had reported, Apple appears to be committed to both the newer scissor switch and the older butterfly switch keyboards in different MacBook models. The company currently has a repair program for users who are experiencing problems with the older butterfly-style keyboard.

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Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
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