Mac Repair London carries out a keyboard replacement on the MacBook Pro 13-inch Unibody from our Central London workshop, for home users and businesses.
The keyboard on the unibody 13-inch is held into the top case with dozens of tiny screws and has a separate backlight sheet, so it can be replaced without swapping the whole top case. It’s a long, careful job, but much cheaper than a top case replacement. We use UK-layout keyboards as standard.
About this model: The 13-inch unibody MacBook Pro (A1278) is one of the most repairable and long-lived Macs Apple ever made. It has a user-accessible hard drive and two RAM slots, a removable optical drive and a screwed-in battery.
Signs it needs a keyboard replacement
- Keys not working after liquid spill
- Missing or broken keys
- Backlight not working
- Keys typing the wrong characters
How we do it
The keyboard is fixed to the top case with many small screws and a separate backlight sheet. We remove the logic board and components above it, swap the keyboard and rebuild. It takes time, but it saves the cost of a whole top case.
We fit UK-layout keyboards as standard and test every key, the backlight and Touch ID (where fitted) before returning the Mac.
At a glance
| Years | 2009–2012 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo, then Core i5/i7 |
| Storage | Standard SATA drive |
| Memory | Socketed, upgradeable |
| Battery | Screwed in (no glue) |
| Power / charging | MagSafe 1 |
Before you bring it in
Try an external keyboard first: if it works, your data and the rest of the Mac are probably fine. Note which keys misbehave and how.
Which model do you have?
This page covers the MacBook Pro 13-inch Unibody (2009–2012) (MacBookPro5,5 / 7,1 / 8,1 / 9,2; A1278). Look under Apple menu > About This Mac, or check the small print on the bottom case for the A-number. Not sure? Bring it in and we’ll identify it for you.
Price
From £135 + VAT supplied and fitted. All prices are subject to inspection, and nothing is done without your approval.
Questions we’re often asked
Do you use genuine Apple parts?
Yes, wherever they still exist. For a Mac this age Apple no longer makes many parts, so we fit genuine Apple parts recovered from donor machines and tested before fitting. Where no genuine part is available at all, which mostly applies to batteries, we tell you before any work starts.
Can you fit an SSD while it’s here?
Yes. This model uses a standard sata drive, and swapping to an SSD at the same time is often the best-value upgrade you can make.