ifixit has taken a very close look at the updated third generation of Apple’s Butterfly keyboard.

Not only did they create an extra teardown for the keyboard, the repair portal also tested whether the new silicone intermediate layer under the keys actually keeps the mechanics clean.

Silicone protection cover is one piece and seems to work

Fluorescent powder was used as test dirt for this purpose. And lo and behold: The dust actually seems to settle as planned at the edge of the keys and not under the sensitive mechanics. This should make the keyboards much less error-prone under normal conditions of use. If sand comes into play, the function is of course gone, but when it comes to that, you can’t blame the keyboard construction any more.

Lo and behold, the dust is safely sequestered at the edges of the membrane, leaving the mechanism fairly sheltered.

As usual, replacing the keyboard and separating it from the top case is a very time-consuming opportunity. The keyboard with all its layers is screwed in, glued and secured with rivets. So it’s no wonder that Apple will replace the entire top case in the event of a defect due to time constraints.

New key caps are actually designed to be replaceable

Very interesting though and a tiny right step towards a little more sustainability: Apparently Apple has completely redesigned the keys. On the one hand they are slightly flatter (1.25 mm vs. 1.5 mm), probably to provide more space for the additional silicone layer and to keep the key stroke the same. Secondly, they are easier to remove without damaging them or the underlying mechanism.

The space bar was even completely redesigned, as it was almost impossible to remove it non-destructively. Apparently, there are a lot of individual keys that give up that it is simply cheaper for Apple to change the key surfaces for a few cents and to clean them once with compressed air than to constantly change topcases. It’s nice to see that two improvements have been introduced to the keyboard that seem very practical.