Apple agreed on Monday to pay a $ 50 million settlement in a class action proceeding over the so-called butterfly keyboard.
A thin model aimed at providing something more accurate, the butterfly keyboard is no longer as elegant as the flapping wings of honey-seeking creatures. Many customers have complained that the characters repeat when pressed or do not appear on the screen at all.Some people said the device had The key that felt sticky Did not respond consistently.
The typing meltdown motivated a class action filed in 2018, with a settlement filed Monday night after a four-year proceeding in the San Jose district of the US District Court in northern California. Apple said the deal did not admit that it was a mistake.
Plaintiff’s lawyer, Simon S. Grill, said Judge Edward J. Davila of the US District Court still had to approve the proposal.
In a statement, plaintiffs Grill and Stephen A. Schwartz said, “Plaintiffs are pleased to submit a $ 50 million settlement with Apple for court approval. This will allow the MacBook Butterfly Keyboard. The long-standing lawsuit will be settled. ” “MacBook purchasers nationwide are eligible to participate.”
As a result of the agreement, Apple was able to immediately indemnify MacBook users who were repaired on laptops with defective butterfly keyboards from 2015 to 2019. Customers said the company knew about the flaws in these MacBooks. Apple offered free repairs to customers with defective keyboards in 2018 and has since phased out.
The company offered to pay affected customers in the range of $ 50 to $ 395.
The proceedings represent the purchasers of about 15 million computers, court documents said.
Apple “has vehemently denied liability,” a court document said. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
“The settlement proposed to resolve this proceeding is not Apple’s approval of any kind of guilt or misconduct,” the agreement said.
Anyone in the United States who has repaired a MacBook purchased from 2015 to 2017, a MacBook Pro from 2016 to 2019, or a MacBook Air keyboard issue from 2018 to 2019 can claim part of the settlement. increase. The company considers customers who have undergone a “top case” that includes a touch-sensitive pointing device called a battery, trackpad, speaker, or keyboard, or a “keycap” that points to a letter cover. With the keyboard.
“All Settlement Class members who go to Apple or an Authorized Service Provider and receive a” Top Case Exchange “or” Keycap Exchange “within 4 years from the date of purchase of the class computer are eligible for cash payment. “I will,” said a court document. ..
Customers fall into one of three groups, depending on the scale of device repairs received at that time.
According to court documents, the first group includes people who have obtained replacements for two or more top cases. They are paid up to $ 395.
The second group (users who receive a top case replacement that did not resolve the issue) will receive up to $ 125. The third group includes those who have replaced the keycap, but not the entire top case. They qualify for up to $ 50.
Many customers will be contacted by Apple, but you can also file a complaint with documentation certifying that the repair has been done.
According to court documents, plaintiffs on behalf of consumers will each apply for a bounty of up to $ 5,000 from the settlement.
In 2015, Apple announced a problematic keyboard for its “all-new MacBook.” Butterflies pointed to a new switching mechanism that expands like a wing under a key, unlike the more common and thick switches that look like scissors.The keyboard was billed as follows “34% thinner” “4 times more stable” From the previous scissors model. But it also seemed to be prone to catching dust and experiencing other problems. Customer complaints began immediately.
For the next five years, Apple tried to change the keyboard with the updated model, but by 2020 it had abandoned it altogether. At that time, all laptops included a redesigned and popular keyboard that restores the scissor switch.
Jesus Jimenez Contribution report.
