Apple is known for its well-made and reliable products. But for a few years the MacBook has had problems with an essential component. As a result, a class action lawsuit has been launched against the Cupertino firm.

Butterfly keyboards that don't make everyone happy

Apple has just accepted a settlement in a class action lawsuit, forcing them to pay 50 million dollars to certain customers. At issue? The "revolutionary" keyboard design on MacBooks from 2015 to 2019.

In 2015 the first 12-inch MacBook (thinner than a MacBook Air) was released. This thinness is why Apple had to designate a new keyboard to fit into the extremely thin chassis. The keys have been changed from the classic "scissor" system to "butterfly" keys. This reduced the height of the keys and the distance they had to travel before performing an action.

This new keyboard was then ported to the new MacBook Pro design in 2016 and the MacBook Air of 2018 and 2019. The problem with this keyboard is that with such a short typing distance, a single dust could block a key.

Within the first year, the reports started to pile up. But after investing so much in this keyboard, Apple chose to ignore the problem. But with the growing number of complaints, the company was forced to react. They then set up a repair service dedicated to keyboards. Without ever acknowledging that the design wasn't working. From then on, the strategy was to pay for repairs that were cheaper than changing the keyboard in all future MacBooks. Especially since the repair service replaces the "butterfly" keyboard, with a "butterfly" keyboard. As a result, the problem will return...

A class action suit initiated 

A class action suit was then launched to seek compensation for continuing to manufacture a product that was defective from the start. In the end, it did not go to trial. Instead, Apple paid $50 million to settle the matter out of court. Customers will receive a share of this amount, while the rest will go to the law firm:

-Up to $395 per MacBook for those who replaced multiple keyboards.
-Up to $125 for a single keyboard replacement.
-Up to $50 for a single key replacement.

The remaining $15 million will go to the law firm that defended the case.

Unfortunately, this compensation does not apply to French consumers. To be eligible, you must have purchased your MacBook between 2015 and 2019 in one of these 7 states: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Washington.

Finally, Apple is once again paying for and not admitting its mistakes. The firm refused to comment to the international press. No statement was issued to justify the decision to keep a keyboard that was blatantly flawed.

Since 2019 the new MacBooks have reverted to the old "scissor" key system. It was probably just the 12-inch MacBook that needed a new keyboard. Apple could have long ago switched to the previous generation.

Source : www.jeuxvideo.com