It's been two years since Apple agreed to pay $50 million in settlement over faulty butterfly keyboards affecting various MacBook models. That money will soon reach the owners eligible for a claim as part of the class-action lawsuit.
According to the MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement website, the court issued a payment order on June 27, 2024, and the payouts for approved claims will be processed by August 2024. The update came a little more than a year after the court approved the settlement on May 25, 2023.
MacBook owners will get different compensation as part of the settlement. Those who got their keyboards replaced multiple times within four years of purchase will get up to $395. However, this might still leave room for those who might have paid up to $475 for out-of-warranty repairs at the time.
Other than that, MacBook owners who got their keyboards replaced once will get up to $125, and $50 for those who got keycap replacements.
The story goes back to almost a decade ago when Apple started fitting the "butterfly mechanism" in its keyboards, claiming the new design made keyboards 34% thinner overall and offered greater typing precision. The first device to feature the butterfly keyboard was the 12-inch MacBook released in March 2015.
The butterfly mechanism trickled down to other MacBook models but it wasn't long enough before it turned into a nightmare for the Cupertino giant. Apple launched a service program to offer free repairs for certain MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models released between 2015 and 2019.
Apple acknowledged that affected devices faced the following problems:
- Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly
- Letters or characters do not appear
- Key(s) feel "sticky" or do not respond in a consistent manner
Apple did make changes to the keyboard's design for later MacBook models but chose not to put it on the previously affected devices. The company added a new silicone membrane in 2018 MacBook Pro models to protect the butterfly design from dust and debris. Finally, the scissor mechanism returned in November 2019 with the launch of MacBook Pro 16.
Via MacRumors
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