We have already seen the disassembly of the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. An accessory was missing, right? No more!
IFixit just did the teardown of Smart Keyboard and you can see the highlights below:
- The technical specifications of the accessory (model number A1636) include an intelligent connector (smart connector; for both power and data), a QWERTY keyboard (complete with 64 keys) and water and smudge resistance.
- Unlike other accessories, this one is not so simple / intuitive to use due to the many “folds” it has. It is no wonder that Apple included a mini guide in the product packaging that explains how to put it in the right position.
- To make the keyboard resistant to water and stains, Appleo encapsulated it in a kind of high-tech fabric. As a result, iFixit had to cut a stylus to be able to disassemble the accessory. In short: if the keyboard breaks, it's gone.
- After cutting, the fabric was then pulled / detached from the keyboard.
- The mechanism of the keys on the Smart Keyboard is the same as that found in 12-inch MacBooks, called “butterfly”.
- The space bar has a reinforcement weight so that, regardless of the place you press (in the corners, for example), it lowers without difficulty.
- When opening the keyboard itself, there is no surprise (only the keyboard itself) no batteries or LEDs to illuminate the keys, for example.
- The plastic frame has kinds of paths (called by iFixit "intestinal squiggles"). They lead to an opening in the upper part of the keyboard and most likely serve for air to escape when the keys are pressed (otherwise it could become a “pressurized balloon”).
- After another layer of plastic was opened, it was possible to visualize the heart of the keyboard (the “logic board”).
- In the bowels of the Smart Keyboard are three strips of fabric made from this mysterious "conductive fabric". They connect the keyboard to the smart connector and allow a bidirectional flow of energy and data, fulfilling the role of traditional flexible cables with excellence, since we are talking about an accessory that is folded / unfolded at all times.
I thought that iFixit's worst possible score was 1/10, but the Smart Keyboard (which is already sold in Brazil by doctors R $ 1,169.10 view) won a nice 0/10 in terms of repairability, after all, it is impossible to open without destroying it much less exchange any defective parts.
