Digital Trends
A $50 million fund paid by Apple to settle a class-action lawsuit over faulty butterfly keyboards on MacBooks is about to be shared among affected customers with an approved claim, MacRumors reported.
Although the settlement was agreed in 2022, a court has only recently issued a payment order, with payouts for approved claims set to be made this month, according to a notice on the MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement website. Claims from impacted customers were accepted through March 6, 2023, but it’s not clear why it’s taken so long to start sending out the money.
The issue affected butterfly keyboards on MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros that were sold between 2015 and 2019. The keyboards were poorly designed and susceptible to failure, causing numerous complaints about keys sticking or failing entirely. One frustrated customer even wrote a hit song about the issue, which went viral on YouTube.
MacBook owners who had to replace at least two keyboards from Apple within four years of purchase will receive a payment of up to $395, while customers who had to replace one keyboard can expect up to $125. Those with smaller key issues on the butterfly keyboard can receive up to $50.
Despite efforts to improve the keyboard design, even the third generation had issues. Apple ultimately abandoned the butterfly keyboard in late 2019, returning to a more reliable scissor switch mechanism less prone to failure.
Apple has consistently denied the lawsuit’s allegations, and the settlement to resolve the case is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing.
