Apple pays $50 Million to Settle a Lawsuit Regarding The Infamous "Butterfly" Keyboard

However, you might not receive a significant reward.

Owners of MacBooks who experienced problems with malfunctioning "butterfly" keyboards may soon receive compensation from Apple. According to Reuters, Apple has agreed to pay $50 million to settle claims that it knew about the problematic keyboard designs in MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models released between 2015 and 2019 and disguised them. If the tentative agreement is approved by a judge, Apple would compensate customers in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Washington who required repairs. The deal won't require the corporation to admit wrongdoing. Four years after purchase, it must continue providing free keyboard repairs. 2015 saw Apple release the 12-inch MacBook, which included the butterfly keyboard. The design was intended to enable steadily thinner computers without sacrificing stability, but it immediately gained a reputation for being extremely sensitive to foreign objects. Even the smallest dust mites or crumbs slipping below would cause keys to become stuck or lose their response. After taking measures to address the issue (such as using membranes), the manufacturer eventually started switching back to more traditional keyboards, beginning with the 16-inch MacBook Pro in late 2019. Apple admitted that some consumers were experiencing troubles and introduced repair initiatives, but insisted that the majority of customers were trouble-free. If you are impacted, you shouldn't anticipate a windfall, as is common with class actions. Attorneys predicted a reimbursement of $395 for several keyboard replacements, $125 for a single full replacement, and $50 for key cap replacements. Additionally, the attorneys may deduct up to $15 million in legal costs from the $50 million settlement, which would reduce the amount of money that MacBook owners can receive. The rewards are more likely to be symbolic than practical, even if they aren't strictly essential given that Apple has already offered refunds for repairs. According to customers who filed the case, the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro keyboards have sticky and sluggish keys, and even a small bit of dust or debris can make typing extremely challenging. Additionally, they said that Apple's customer service was inadequate and that despite the availability of replacement keyboards, the same issues continued. The agreement includes customers who purchased MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and the majority of MacBook Pros between 2015 and 2019 in seven U.S. states (California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Washington). Apple accepts the compensation but disputes any wrongdoing. Consumers who replace numerous keyboards may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $395 (or 2,666.25 yuan), while those who just replace one keyboard may be eligible for compensation of up to $125 (or 843.75 yuan). Up to $50 in compensation is offered to individuals who replace the keycaps.