I read somewhere the angle sensor also has a privacy feature of cutting off microphone at hardware level. This is probably the main reason for parts pairing.

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serf 6 days ago | parent [-]

... and this can't done with the myriad of other ways a lid can know it's closed.. why?

Presumably MacBooks still have a big un-shuttered camera on the screen? Presumably there is still a light sensor?

I get the idea of parts pairing as a theft/parts-out deterrent -- I don't get it as a method of cutting features on existing machines. "We need the lid angle sensor to be valuable, so let's cut out our eyes and seal our ears."

	▲	commandersaki 6 days ago \| parent [-]
		<shrug> I don't work for Apple and design these things, but for some privacy things they do go to the extreme. I can imagine the scenario where a TLA tries to replace the angle sensor so they can keep the mic open for surveillence reasons, hence why they do parts pairing. https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/security/secbbd20b00b/...