Apple settled a class-action lawsuit related to its botched butterfly keyboard design back in November. This $50 million settlement has now been finalized and payments to MacBook users ranging from $50 to $395 will begin shortly.
Butterfly keyboard history
The butterfly keyboard was first introduced on the 12-inch MacBook in 2015. Apple has since extended the design to its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro despite concerns about durability and reliability.
Butterfly keyboard users have reported issues such as stuck or broken keys, unexpected double letters, and more. The butterfly keyboard went through several changes from 2015 to 2019, but none of them completely solved the problems experienced by MacBook users.
In turn, Apple has faced numerous class action lawsuits in the US. Apple offered a free keyboard replacement service, but that wasn’t the ideal solution as broken keyboards were simply replaced with others that would likely fail in the same way.
In November, Apple settled the class-action lawsuit, and the judge approved a proposal to pay $50 million to affected customers. While a significant portion of this amount will go to lawyers, the remainder will go to MacBook users who have been affected by the butterfly keyboard saga.
Final approval received
A U.S. court gave its final approval to a $50 million class action lawsuit this week, Reuters reported. In his ruling, the judge called the settlement agreement “fair, adequate and reasonable.” Under the agreement, affected MacBook users will receive between $50 and $395 in compensation.
Some participants in the class action argued that the average level of settlement agreement is insufficient. Under the payout structure, this tier pays out $125 to MacBook users who receive one keyboard replacement from Apple.
However, in today’s ruling, US District Judge Edward Davila dismissed those claims. “The possibility that a better settlement could be reached — or that the benefits provided under the settlement agreement would not make the members of the class ‘whole’ — is not sufficient reason to deny approval,” Davila wrote.
Some MacBook users also argued that the settlement should include “compensation for MacBook owners who had keyboard problems but were unable to repair them.” This too was rejected by Davila.
The deadline for filing a claim expired in March. According to today’s announcement, over 86,000 lawsuits have been filed.
When exactly the payments to members of the class will begin, it is not reported. Lawyers in the case from Girard Sharp and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith said they “look forward to transferring the money to our clients.”
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