In recent times, you must have seen something about the big Apple Watch Class Action Lawsuit somewhere, like in the news headlines or by someone else. Well, that was some serious stuff, and it had a big impact on a lot of people out there, like, people even got injured because of the problem with the Apple watches. That sounds way too serious, and that’s just because it really is. So, by this point, if you didn’t know about all this, just keep on reading.
When Did All This Begin?
In 2021, the suit was brought in California, the place where Apple is actually based or originally from. The case’s official reference is Smith et al. v. Apple Inc. Plaintiffs mentioned the defect in the design of the Apple Watch that it can cause it to be dangerous as time goes by.
Some consumers mentioned that their watches had been worn in the usual way, but out of the blue, the screen had detached, similar to the removal of a can lid, just a little. Apple, however, did not take action to withdraw the product or notify users even after these instances. It went on with business as usual without making any announcements. People were not happy with such a situation.
Which Apple Watch Models Were Involved?
See, it’s true that it wasn’t the problem with every model, but several of the early versions were affected. Here’s the list:
Apple Watch (1st generation)
- Series 1
- Series 2
- Series 3
So, if any of the watches from the Apple Watch line were purchased by you within the period from the 24th of April 2015 to the 6th of February 2024, then it is highly likely that your device is among the ones that have been impacted. With that statement, virtually ten years of Apple Watches have been pointed to as being in an affected group.
What Did Apple Say?
Apple certainly didn’t confess to any misconduct. They didn’t even say “sorry”. Rather, the company stated that the Apple Watch is safe and retains its functionality as expected.
However, in order to still escape this drawn-out lawsuit (and its associated bad press), the tech giant struck a settlement with the plaintiffs. Hence, they are compensating the users who were impacted, although without acknowledgment of their fault whatsoever. Such an approach is typical of big corporations, and we have seen that time and again.
How Much Is Apple Paying?
Apple will have to pay 20 million dollars to settle the lawsuit.
In case you are wondering, that amount of money is nothing compared to what most users will receive. Thus, on average, they will get $20 to $25 each per watch. It is not a huge payout, but it still counts, notably if your watch screen actually shattered or hurt you.
If your device was previously reported or fixed by Apple, you were free from the hassle of any action on your part. The money meant for you was, in fact, automatically transferred.
However, there is a point. The compensations were available only to people living in the U.S. So, if you are in India or at any location that is not in the U.S., the settlement does not cover you.
Was There Another Lawsuit Too?
Indeed, apart from the problem with the Apple Watch, there was an additional legal case with Siri.
Users claimed that Siri was eavesdropping on them when the assistant was inactive. It is alleged that Siri was overhearing and capturing private conversations unintentionally. Subsequently, a $95 million settlement was agreed upon to resolve that very case.
That lawsuit was related to iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and Apple Watches, in fact, any Apple device on which Siri might have been turned on without your knowledge. The incident date range is from October 12, 2011, to July 2021, and the claims could be submitted from September 17 to December 31, 2024.