A final verdict has been announced after nearly a year of legal wrangling between Apple and some consumers unhappy with Macbook keyboards. The tech giant was ordered to pay $50 million in damages.
Among those indemnified are customers affected by keyboard malfunctions with the controversial butterfly key mechanism.
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Judgment confirms the agreement and considers it fair
U.S. District Judge Edward Davila of San Jose, California, United States, definitively rejected the objections presented by Apple, ratifying the agreement that determines the payment of the indemnity. According to the judge, the settlement is considered "fair, adequate and reasonable".
Approximately 86,000 consumers are involved in the lawsuit and will receive individual compensation ranging from $50 to $395 to cover the cost of repairing defective keyboards.
The MacBook (2015-2017), MacBook Pro (2016-2019) and MacBook Air (2018-2019) models were the main targets of claims and arguments in the process.
Butterfly keyboards: dust accumulation and malfunction
The problem with butterfly keyboards was introduced in 2015 when Apple released the 12-inch Macbook.
This mechanism suffered from dust accumulating under the keys, resulting in keys that did not respond properly or even stuck, preventing normal typing. Since its launch, Apple has faced numerous class-action lawsuits filed by dissatisfied consumers.
After a while, the company decided to replace the butterfly mechanism with the scissor keyboard, which was already used in previous models of Macbooks. This measure was intended to fix the issue and improve the typing experience for users.
Lessons learned and reputation at stake
The indemnity settlement is an important outcome for consumers affected by defective keyboards in Macbooks. However, Apple faces the challenge of regaining consumers' trust. consumers regarding the quality of their products and the support offered.
According to technology specialists, it is fundamental that the company learns from this experience and invest in more rigorous testing and quality improvements to avoid similar problems in future.
