Apple agrees to settle lawsuit of owners of older MacBooks over flawed ‘butterfly keyboards’

In a way to align in the shallower cases of the Apple's computers, certain MacBook models came with redesigned keys, dubbed "butterfly" keys, according to an announcement Apple made in 2015. The tech giant stated that it reduced key thickness by 40% by swapping out the conventional scissor-based switches with a revolutionary "butterfly" mechanism. But issues arose.

Users filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple in the U.S. District Court of Northern California in San Jose, saying that the company was aware that its butterfly keyboards were susceptible to malfunction and hid it. This was before Apple introduced a better keyboard design in late-2019.

In a filing, Apple put an end to the story by agreeing to pay $50 million to resolve the matter without pleading guilty.

According to CNBC, if the preliminary agreement is granted, the customers' attorneys anticipate maximum reimbursements of $300 to $395 for those who replaced several keyboards, $125 for those who changed only one keyboard, and $50 for those who replaced keycaps. The $50 million windfall can be claimed by the law firms Girard Sharp LLP and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner and Donaldson-Smith LLP for legal expenses up to a maximum of $15 million.

Customers who purchased MacBook, MacBook Air, and the majority of MacBook Pro models in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Washington between 2015 and 2019 are covered by the settlement.

In the years that followed the advent of the butterfly keys, Apple provided guidance on how to clean jammed keys and introduced a service program for customers whose keyboards had been damaged by dirt. Between 2015 and 2019, the business made relatively little design modifications to the device, with the exception of adding a membrane, which Apple advertised as a technique to quieten the keys without necessarily enhancing their dependability.

The butterfly keyboard was a breakthrough that Apple first presented as a way to make its computers even thinner. Users, however, complained that the butterfly keyboards were susceptible to malfunction and might be harmed by a drop of dust, causing the keyboard to unexpectedly repeat letters or refuse to register keystrokes at all.

The shortcomings of the unpopular butterfly keyboards gave rise to voluminous complaints. The keyboard has been dubbed the worst Apple product ever by a prominent Apple blogger. In a corporate statement, Apple expressed regret for the problems and unveiled a service plan that will start replacing keyboards for free in 2019.

MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pro laptops purchased between 2015 and 2019 are eligible. During that time, the cost of fixing an out-of-warranty butterfly keyboard might reach $475.

If accepted, the settlement will be applicable across the country, according to Simon Grille, a Girard Sharp lawyer who is defending the customers.

In 2019, Apple took down the butterfly keys in favor of a more conventional "scissor switch" design. Since then, Apple's Mac business has grown by 11% in 2020 and by 23% in fiscal 2021, reaching $35 billion in sales.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which increased computer sales as more people worked from home, and also Apple's release of its in-house designed M-series CPUs, may have also contributed to the growth of the Mac sales.