Between 2015 and 2019, Apple became famous for having changed the MacBook keyboard system, leaving behind the scissor system, to use the butterfly keyboard. However, they had to back down and were involved in lawsuits. Now a US judge has ruled in favor of users on this issue, and Apple will have to shell out several tens of millions of dollars. Do you want to know what happened? We tell you!
A judge rules in favor of users in the butterfly effect of keyboards
Between 50 and 395 dollars is the amount that Apple will have to pay, per individuall, to each of the people who were affected by the operation of the butterfly keyboard, and who joined this class action lawsuit. The judge considers this measure as “fair, adequate and reasonable”, as reported from the 9to5Mac portal.
The total amount that Apple will have to pay is 50 million dollars, which are divided into the amounts that they will have to pay to the 86,000 people who joined this class action. The term to enroll in it ended last March. However, the compensation was raised by the company last November 2022. And it was not until a few days ago that the administration of justice gave the go-ahead.
However, all that glitters is not gold. Although the judge who has given the go-ahead sees this measure favorably, this is not without critical voices. Judges such as Edward Davilla (district judge in the US), affirm that “the possibility that a better agreement has been reached, or that the benefits obtained by virtue of the agreement do not make the members of the class ‘whole’, are insufficient reasons to deny approval”, report from 9to5Mac.
This type of keyboard mechanism, which was to be a revolution, became a headache, with stuck keys, double clicks, parts that stopped working and, in short, a fatal failure for computers whose ranges prices have always been high.
At the moment, as the situation is, it is known that payments to users are going to start “very soon”, but no start date or limit has been specified to grant the corresponding compensation. The legal team of the plaintiffs are “Waiting for the money to reach all customers.”
There are three types of compensation
In the same way, from 9to5Mac, they have already explained what are the three groups of compensation that Apple contemplates. Depending on the impact and damage, the Cupertino company has established a categorization of three levels, which go from less to more quantity:
- Group 1: between 300 and 395 dollars. People who have had to replace the keyboard twice, in official or authorized technical services, during the 4 years following the purchase.
- Group 2: up to $125. People who have carried out a keyboard replacement, in official or authorized technical services, during the 4 years following the purchase, but this has not resolved the problems they were experiencing.
- Group 3: up to 50 dollars. People who have carried out one (or more) replacements of individual keys, in official or authorized technical services, during the 4 years following the purchase, but this has not resolved the problems they were experiencing.
