Well-connected Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities has today released a note to investors laying out a timeline for Apple’s conversion to more reliable scissor switch keyboards in its MacBooks.
Kuo says Apple will soon be transitioning its MacBooks away from the current failure-prone butterfly switch keyboard as soon as the last quarter of 2019. Kuo had previously stated that Apple would not begin using the new keyboards until 2020.
Kuo predicts Apple’s return to scissor switch keyboard mechanisms will begin this fall with the debut of the much-rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple recently released a slightly updated MacBook Air and new entry-level MacBook Pros, which used butterfly keyboards. The MacBook Air and 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros will rely on butterfly keyboards through 2019. 2020 will see a switch from the butterfly to the scissors mechanisms.
In today’s investor note, Kuo also predicted that the iPad Smart Keyboard will attract more users, thanks to iPadOS, which will introduce a number of changes to iPad software, making it more competitive as a replacement for Windows laptops and older notebooks.
Kuo seems Smart Keyboard sales reaching 2 million this year, doubling to 4 million in 2020, jumping to 7 million by the end of 2021.
(Via 9to5Mac)
