Apple’s Butterfly Keyboard Lawsuits Are Finally Paying Out
Have you ever had a typing accident that left you needing to press the keys twice or not pressing the keys at all? Have your laptop keys become stuck and/or unresponsive, causing you lasting injury? If you’ve been a victim of Apple’s butterfly keyboard design on your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, you may be entitled to compensation. In fact, this compensation will soon be provided to the victims.
What’s wrong with my MacBook’s keyboard?
Let’s make something clear: this situation has nothing to do with the MacBooks Apple has released in recent years. If you have a relatively new laptop from Apple, the keyboard is probably fine, if not above average. However, over a period of time (roughly 2015–2019), Apple made some questionable design decisions for its line of laptops, namely the butterfly keyboard.
These keyboards ditched the traditional scissor switch mechanism that Apple used in its previously beloved MacBooks in favor of a butterfly switch mechanism, which reduced the distance required for each keystroke. This design allowed Apple to make all of its MacBooks ultra-thin , which looked good visually but was not the best choice for optimal computing performance.
But the problem with keyboards wasn’t necessarily their thinness; it was a flawed design overall. Butterfly keyboards were prone to glitching for one reason or another, which could eventually result in nothing happening when you pressed the keys, repeating the input when you pressed the key once (“AA” appeared when you typed “A” only once times) or a feeling of “sticky” keys, as the keys rub against the keyboard and become stuck in place.
Apple tried to fix the keyboard with small changes, such as a thin membrane under the keys to prevent dust and debris from getting stuck, but none of these changes worked: the design was too flawed. Apple even launched a repair program so affected customers could get their keyboards repaired for free. The problem was that the repair program only lasted four years after your computer was sold at retail , even when you bought it. If Apple sold your computer in the fall of 2016 and you bought it in 2018, the program will still end in 2020.
How much can I get?
Here are the lawsuits : It wasn’t just that Apple sold customers a faulty keyboard; The fact is that the company knew that the keyboards were doomed to fail, and still continued to sell them. Apple denies all wrongdoing but ultimately agreed to a $50 million settlement.
If you qualify, your payment will depend on your specific situation: If you had to replace your MacBook’s top case at least twice during that four-year period, you could receive up to $395 in compensation. If you replaced it once, you’ll get $125. If you just had the keycaps themselves replaced, it would cost $50.
However, if you don’t apply, you won’t receive anything. The deadline to create one was March 6, 2023, so if you didn’t make your case then, you’re out of luck now.
Payments are coming
As MacRumors notes , payments to qualified victims will begin soon. The court issued the payment order on June 27, and the payments themselves will be issued by August. If you applied last year, expect your payment until the end of the summer.