Apple
- A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Apple over the design of its late model MacBook keyboards.
- The lawsuit alleges that the keyboards are prone to breaking, with thousands of customers affected, and Apple knows about the issue.
- Even if the lawsuit ends up being successful, which is not guaranteed, it will probably be years before any users receive anything in a settlement.
Apple faces a class-action lawsuit over the keyboards on most of its current laptops, including the MacBook and the MacBook Pro.
Users have complained that the keys on Apple's "butterfly" keyboard, first introduced in 2015, can get jammed easily when faced with minor dust or debris.
There have been a lot of complaints. There is even a parody song about it with over 150,000 views.
Now, Apple faces a class-action suit filed by Girard Gibbs about the issue. The firm is looking for other people who may have had issues with their keyboard.
The lawyers are looking for a jury trial, but it may be years before there are any refunds or replacements, even if the complaint is successful. Previous settlements involving Apple have deposited Amazon credits in people's accounts, for example, but they took years.
"This action is brought on behalf of individuals who purchased model year 2015 or later Apple MacBook laptops and model year 2016 or later MacBook Pro laptops (the "MacBook")," according to the complaint. "The MacBook Pro is marketed and sold as top of the line-the 15-inch model's starting price is $2,399. But the MacBook is defective: its 'butterfly' keyboard is prone to fail. Thousands of consumers have experienced this defect."
"When the MacBook's butterfly keyboard fails, the keys stick and no longer register keystrokes. As a result, the user cannot type," it continued.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple's own troubleshooting, which includes turning the laptop horizontal and blasting it with compressed air, is ineffective. It also alleges that keyboards aren't being properly handled under warranty.
MacBooks aren't the only Apple product currently embroiled in a lawsuit. Over 50 lawsuits over Apple software that slowed down iPhone processors to prolong battery life are currently being combined in California.