new macbook pro 2023 m2 has wobbly keys + sticky trackpad

[thailandmac]

Hello all,

I just got a new MBP 14 inch, M2...I never wanted to upgrade from my 2015 MBP, which I love so much, but I'm travelling in Thailand and I got a swollen battery, Apple told me I'd need to travel to Singapore to get a new battery and that was almost half the price of a new laptop for the trip, so I ordered a new laptop from the Apple store here. It's a beautiful machine, however, some of the keyboard keys feel "wobbly", particularly longer keys like the command key, which as an engineer I press about 1000x a day, and it's driving me crazy. Most keys are fine, and feel tight and nice, however, a few of them feel less stable, sort of like if you press down on the sides of a bed it caves in more than in the center. I don't know if this is normal or a defect. The right click side of the trackpad also seems a bit stuck sometimes, particularly if I try to press with the side of thumb, then the second time I click it's ok. The MBP was so expensive down here if it's a defect I'd rather return it ASAP. I'm not close by to any Apple store and I've had to send it back by mail if I return, there's nowhere I can easily go verify lots of MBP to see if those have the same issue. I did try to compare it to my 2015 and some keys do feel slightly unstable, as well if I really try to click around I can get a part of the trackpad that is really hard to click down on, but maybe I'm just used to it on my 2015 and don't notice it anymore. But of course if I have defective MBP for 3000$ I'd rather return it in the return period than deal with problems afterwards.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Honza1]

I have 16 inch M1 MBP and I think the keyboards are quite similar/same design to 14inch M2. Keys have clearance sideways I can feel when I put my finger on them, all of them. Longer keys also do have what seems larger feel vertical flex, which varies a bit over their surface area. I can push them down for may be 0.1-0.2mm on sides without engaging click. I am not sure I would call this wobbly, but there is obvious spring loaded clearance before they engage and they do feel different from small letter keys which feel more robust. I would be surprised if there was simple way to get these keys too wobbly, may be one or two, not all of them. This is different design than 2015 keyboard had, I assume. It feels different than my last 2017 MBP, but that had also different design than 2015.
Not sure about the touchpad. I use mouse as miuch as I can and have been fighting with touchpads all my life. Keep in mind, that this touchpad does not physically move at all, all you feel is haptic feedback and it reads electrical signals. So all behavior you see may be simply in software and might be controllable in Settings. You cannot get this touchpad stuck physically anywhere. It could have lower sensitivity in some area, that is possible, no way to know. But it is also possible that it is not reading correctly the gesture, especially if you are in area where there are more possibilities for gesture types (e.g., edges).

 

[thailandmac]

I have 16 inch M1 MBP and I think the keyboards are quite similar/same design to 14inch M2. Keys have clearance sideways I can feel when I put my finger on them, all of them. Longer keys also do have what seems larger feel vertical flex, which varies a bit over their surface area. I can push them down for may be 0.1-0.2mm on sides without engaging click. I am not sure I would call this wobbly, but there is obvious spring loaded clearance before they engage and they do feel different from small letter keys which feel more robust. I would be surprised if there was simple way to get these keys too wobbly, may be one or two, not all of them. This is different design than 2015 keyboard had, I assume. It feels different than my last 2017 MBP, but that had also different design than 2015.
Not sure about the touchpad. I use mouse as miuch as I can and have been fighting with touchpads all my life. Keep in mind, that this touchpad does not physically move at all, all you feel is haptic feedback and it reads electrical signals. So all behavior you see may be simply in software and might be controllable in Settings. You cannot get this touchpad stuck physically anywhere. It could have lower sensitivity in some area, that is possible, no way to know. But it is also possible that it is not reading correctly the gesture, especially if you are in area where there are more possibilities for gesture types (e.g., edges).

Thank you that really helps to know.

 

[lwilliams]

I just got a new MBP M2 today. I don't feel any wobbly keys or trackpad issues. Was yours problematic on day one?

 

[thailandmac]

I just got a new MBP M2 today. I don't feel any wobbly keys or trackpad issues. Was yours problematic on day one?

Pretty much, or very quickly. I don't even know if someone else would consider the keys to be wobbly but to me I don't like when a key doesn't feel completely stable and gives in more on the sides vs. the middle, like a bed where you try to sit on the corners.

 

[helloapple1]

I'm experiencing this "sticky trackpad" on one of my M2 MacBook Airs. Have you found a solution?

Pretty much, or very quickly. I don't even know if someone else would consider the keys to be wobbly but to me I don't like when a key doesn't feel completely stable and gives in more on the sides vs. the middle, like a bed where you try to sit on the corners.

 

[natori]

I just upgraded from a 2017 MBP to a 2023 MBP M2 ... Im here because I absolutely dislike the new design of the keyboard, it does feel more wobbly and I can actually see under some of the keys when the light is on. The keyboard design on my 2017 MBP is much nicer, and feels better to type on. The keys are a lot closer together on the oder design, and it's easier for me to type quickly as well. The trackpad is marginally narrower too.. I do a lot of design work and for me I noticed the difference when I'm trying to draw with my fingers on the trackpad! Unfortunately there's no going back, unless apple decides to do a redesign in the future.

 

[Honza1]

I think you are comparing the famously problematic butterfly keyboard on 2016-2020 MBPs with the new design. While you may have liked it more for use (I am personally neutral), that butterfly keyboard had high failure rate. So yes, it is not coming back, many people here hated its unreliability...