Apple agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over butterfly keyboards, a component of some MacBook laptops that left many users angry and frustrated.
The butterfly keyboard, a thin model that was supposed to provide more precision, was not as graceful as the flapping wings of the creature. Customers complained that characters were repeated when pressed or didn't show up on their screens. The keys on the devices didn't respond consistently.
Four years of litigation in the San Jose Division of the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California ended on Monday night with a settlement. The agreement did not admit that Apple was to blame, according to Apple.
The proposal needs to be approved by the district judge.
Mr. Grille and Steven A. Schwartz said in a statement that they were pleased to submit for court approval their $50 million settlement with Apple. MacBook buyers in the country are eligible to take part.
As a result of the agreement, Apple could make an apology to MacBook users who got repairs on their laptop with a faulty butterfly keyboard. The company knew about the problem with the MacBooks and offered free repairs to customers who had the faulty keyboards.
Customers who were affected would be paid between $50 and $395 by the company.
According to the court documents, the lawsuit involves 15 million computers.
The court documents stated that Apple denied liability. The company did not reply.
According to the agreement, the proposed settlement is not an admission of guilt by Apple.
Anyone in the United States who received repairs for keyboard issues for MacBooks purchased from 2015 to the present can claim a share of the settlement. Customers who received replacements of a topcase, which includes the battery, the touch-sensitive pointing device, the speakers and the keyboard, will be considered by the company.
Settlement class members who went to Apple or an authorized service provider and received a topcase replacement or a key cap replacement within four years after the date they purchased their class computer are eligible for a cash payment, according to the court documents.
Depending on the scale of repairs received at the time, customers will be grouped into three groups.
People who obtained two or more top case replacements are included in the first group. The maximum amount of money they will be paid is $385.
Users who got a topcase replacement that didn't resolve their issues will get up to $125. People who replaced a keycap are included in the third group. They'll be able to get up to $50.
Many customers will be contacted by Apple, but they can also submit claims with documentation proving that repairs were made.
The court documents show that the consumers intend to apply for awards of up to $5,000 each.
The keyboards on the new Macbook were problematic. A novel mechanism that expanded like wings under the keys was referred to by the butterfly. The keyboard was thinner and more stable than the scissor model. It was also prone to having other problems. Customer complaints started soon.
In the next five years, Apple tried to modify the keyboard in updated models before abandoning it completely by 2020, when all of its laptops included a redesign and well-received keyboard.
Jesus Jiménez made a report.
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