Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with a mysterious new cover angle sensor

Apple’s latest new 16-inch MacBook has a larger screen, also returns to a scissor switch keyboard, a louder speaker, a better microphone, and a cover angle sensor. MacRumors found information about new sensors in the service documentation sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers. It shares information with iFixit, which finds a small sensor inside the computer and also notices that there is a magnet inside the hinge of the MacBook Pro, and the arrow indicates the polarity of the hinge.

iFixit updated its disassembly to include the image of the sensor, which you can see at the top of this article. The sensor placed near the left hinge of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which itself embeds a magnet. But this is what we need to know about the cover angle sensor. Depending on the name, the sensor seems to track the precise angle of the lid in some way. The iFixit speculates that the sensor helps record the adjustments of the display and may help Apple diagnose any “Flexgate”-like backlighting problems that may appear on laptops in the future.

Without more information from Apple, it’s hard to know what the sensor is for. MacRumors does see in the service documentation that the computer’s display and top angle sensors need to sees before the repair is completed, so Apple seems to want to ensure that the sensor is handled correctly. This new sensor is also likely to be bundled with unique features that can be built into macOS on some point in the future, but there is absolutely no indication of this. For the authorized service provider in order to complete repair process by itself, the display also new cover angle sensor must adjusted. Such a secret sensor! It’s exciting! Ok, if it turns into something on some point in the future. Again, that is not what it is.