2015 Macbook Air keyboard and trackpad issues

[weezin]

I picked up a new sealed 2015 11" MacBook Air (i7, 8GB, 512GB) from B&H last year (they had a few lingering maxed out models in stock). I wanted to buy the newest one available after Apple killed it.

I also have a 2011 11" MacBook Air, and I immediately noticed that the keyboard on the 2015 MBA was not as good as the one on the 2011. The keys do wobble a bit more, make a bit more noise to the touch just as you demonstrated, and they feel more hollow. The travel between the two is the same, but the spring-back/feedback beneath the fingers is not as solid as with the 2011 keyboard.

I also noticed a big difference with the trackpad between both machines. The one on the 2011 MBA is evenly seated and clicks are effortless throughout. The one on the 2015 was raised a bit to the left, and needed harder clicks than the clicks that were needed on the right hand side. Aside from the clicking problem, the trackpad would also rattle a bit while just using 'tap to click' - so it was also a bit loose. This was definitely annoying me.

By the way, my trackpad felt normal without the battery as well, but the seated battery actually helps support the trackpad and I believe that is intentional and part of the design. Same for the back cover of the MBA. You can't really test the trackpad (if adjusting the trackpad screw) unless you put the back cover back on and put a few screws in to see if it tightens up. It's trial and error.

So when I opened the bottom cover to install a new Samsung SSD (EVO 970 1TB), I decided to follow the iFixit Track Pad Repair Guide (for loose track pads) to see if there was anything obvious to the eye that would make it uneven (in addition to the loose rattle). Sure enough, when I got to the foam bits underneath the trackpad (to prevent rattling) I noticed that they weren't properly applied (one side had hardly any, the other side had an uneven application), so I followed this guide and fixed it myself.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Air+13-Inch+Mid+2012:+loose+or+rattling+trackpad+repair/98227

I cleaned out the old foam bits, adhered new, even, clean foam bits on both sides (using 1mm foam tape - adhesive on one side), and now the trackpad is even seated, and has normal even clicking throughout. And best of all, now that there is proper padding underneath, it feels solid while tapping to click, no rattle or noise at all. There are quite a few tedious steps to follow, but if you have the proper tools and go slow, it's doable.

So, if I had to guess, Apple is using a different keyboard supplier for the more recent (now legacy) MacBook Airs, and there are (or were) factory production line issues while attaching the trackpads (which is fixable). And while there is no fix for the keyboard, as there is technically nothing wrong with it, I've gotten used to and it's still way better than most of the keyboards out there. Just not quite as good as the one in my 2011 MBA.

That is incredibly helpful, thanks!

The keyboard differences sound like the same ones I have, almost exactly (when I tested my 2015 with the non-aftermarket battery). That's really disappointing to me as I was hoping my 2015 was a one-off or a batch or something. Unfortunately this now means that it seems as if no matter what later Air I get, the keyboards won't be as good. Bummer.

Thanks for the information on the trackpad, that is useful. I think the trackpad in my 2015 is okay (with a non-aftermarket battery in there) thankfully. I also tend to not actually click the thing very often, and instead use taps.

You're ultimately right that if I didn't have the 2011 to compare to, the 2015 keyboard would probably be fine. But I do and I enjoy typing on the 2011 Air so much that I'm not sure I can give it up. I'm now contemplating trying to find a lower-priced 2012 with 8gb of ram and letting that do for a few years until something else comes up. Not sure. Definitely won't have the performance of the i7/8gb 2015, but the 8gb should help a lot vs the 4 in my 2011. Decisions!