Share This Article
In a long-awaited development, Apple’s settlement for the class-action lawsuit concerning its ill-fated butterfly keyboard design has finally received the green light. The $50 million settlement, reached in November, is now set to compensate affected MacBook users with payouts ranging from $50 to $395.
The butterfly keyboard initially debuted in 2015 with the 12-inch MacBook. Despite concerns about its durability and reliability, Apple went on to incorporate the design into its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineup.
Users soon encountered a myriad of issues with the butterfly keyboard, including keys getting stuck or breaking, unexpected double letters, and more. Over the years, Apple attempted multiple revisions to address these problems, but none managed to fully resolve the persistent complaints from MacBook users.
As a result, Apple faced several class-action lawsuits across the United States. While the company offered a free keyboard replacement service, this merely substituted one faulty keyboard with another prone to similar failures, leaving customers dissatisfied.
In November, Apple reached a settlement in the class-action lawsuit, with a judge approving the proposal to compensate affected customers with $50 million. Although a significant portion of the settlement will be allocated to attorneys, the remaining funds will be distributed among MacBook users impacted by the butterfly keyboard debacle.
According to Reuters, the $50 million settlement received final approval from a US judge this week. In his ruling, the judge deemed the settlement “fair, adequate, and reasonable.” Under the terms of the agreement, impacted MacBook users can expect to receive settlements ranging from $50 to $395.
However, some members of the class-action lawsuit argued that the middle tier of the settlement amount was insufficient. This tier provides $125 to MacBook users who received a single keyboard replacement from Apple.
Nevertheless, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila dismissed these claims in his ruling, stating that the potential for a better settlement or concerns regarding the benefits provided were not sufficient grounds for denial. Furthermore, MacBook users who experienced keyboard failures but did not seek repairs were also denied compensation.
Related articles
- Farewell, My Photo Stream: Apple’s Decision to Consolidate with iCloud Photos
- Refurbished M2 Mac mini Models Now Available with Significant Savings
The deadline for submitting claims in the lawsuit expired in March, and today’s announcement revealed that over 86,000 claims were filed. While an exact date for the commencement of payouts to class members has not been disclosed, the lawyers involved in the case, Girard Sharp and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith, expressed their eagerness to distribute the funds to their clients.
Apple’s butterfly keyboard fiasco has undoubtedly left a mark on its reputation, but the resolution of this class-action lawsuit offers a glimmer of hope for affected MacBook users who can now anticipate their well-deserved compensations.
