Final Nod: US Judge Approves Apple’s $50M ‘Butterfly’ Keyboard Settlement

The US federal court has finally approved Apple’s $50 million class-action settlement regarding the reliability issues of MacBook keyboards.

The agreement resolves allegations that Apple misinformed customers about the faulty keyboards included in MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro computers that were made between 2015 and 2019.

Judge Edward Davila deemed the settlement fair and reasonable, with impacted MacBook users set to receive settlements ranging from $50 to $395. According to Judge Davila’s findings, over 86,000 claims were submitted before the application deadline in March of last year.

Apple introduced the butterfly keyboard in 2015, aiming to create slimmer laptops while maintaining stability and typing experience. However, the design proved susceptible to dust and debris, causing issues for Mac users.

After making various improvements to the mechanism, Apple returned to a more traditional keyboard design by launching the 16-inch MacBook Pro in late 2019.

Apple won’t be required to admit any liability as part of the settlement arrangement. Judge Davila rejected some of the class action lawsuit participants’ appeals after they disputed the proposed $125 compensation for a certain class member category.

He stated that the possibility of a better settlement or dissatisfaction with the benefits provided does not justify denying approval. The judge also rejected a claim for compensation made by MacBook users who had keyboard issues but did not have their devices serviced by Apple.

While the timeline for payment distribution is unknown, the lawyers involved in the case expressed their commitment to delivering the funds to their clients.