Macbook Pro a1989 with a1708 keycaps

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Macbook Pro a1989 with a1708 keycaps

Hello there!

I got a Macbook Pro a1989 from 2018 and I wanted to replace some keycaps.

I already have the keycaps I need at home but they are from the a1708 Macbook Pro Model.

I compared both and they seem identical. The only difference is the small circle in the back of the keycap. It seems to be slightly larger on the a1989.

My doubt is: Can I use the a1708 keycaps? I replaced one and it seems to be working just like the original ones.

Thanks for the help

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Mar 27, 2024 5:36 PM

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Answer 1

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HWTech

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69,854 points

Mar 28, 2024 5:32 PM in response to mehlss

AFAIK, the key caps for the 2016-2019 butterfly keyboards have the same mounting mechanism & points. You may find that the font or color may be slightly different though.

Edit: modified model years. As for the circle area, I wonder if the different size is meant to try to prevent the failure of the key switch.

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Answer 2

mehlss Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 4, 2024 2:08 PM in response to HWTech

Thanks for the reply!

I found a post about this, and they said aside from the design of some keys, the only difference was a slight change on the keycap's clips, which I can't see any visible difference...

Apple added a new layer of protection: a silicone cover on top of the butterfly mechanism.

The circle area might have less than 1 mm of change, so I'm not sure if that's actually the reason.

It probably won't damage my MacBook keyboard mechanism, right?

Here's the link with the information I found:

https://macreplacementkeys.com/what-replacement-key-do-i-need-for-my-2018-macbook-pro/

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Macbook Pro a1989 with a1708 keycaps

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