What you should know
- Apple has settled a class action lawsuit with owners of iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, who had various issues with their devices sold between early 2017 and late 2018, for $35 million.
- The problems that plaintiffs faced included speaker buttons being disabled during phone calls, Siri’s inability to respond to voice commands, the failure of the Voice Memos app to work correctly, and other audio-related issues.
- Class members must have a documented complaint with Apple regarding the speaker issues, or they must have paid Apple to repair or replace their device, to qualify for a share of the settlement fund.
- If you receive a postcard or an email regarding the settlement, you have until June 3rd to let the Settlement Administrator know your preferred payment method. If you fail to do so, you will not receive a settlement claim and will forfeit any opportunity to sue Apple for this issue.
Full Story
Hey, iPhone users, listen up! More money from an Apple settlement is about to land in your pockets. This round, Apple’s settling with folks who owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus between September 16, 2016, and January 3, 2023.
The lawsuit? It was a class action one. The plaintiffs? They had a bunch of issues with their devices. The iPhones in question were sold between early 2017 and late 2018. Apple’s solution? They settled the suit for a cool $35 million.
So, what were these issues? Well, they ranged from speaker buttons that were “grayed out” and disabled during phone calls, to Siri giving the silent treatment. The Voice Memos app was also acting up, and some users reported a loss of microphone fidelity. There were other audio-related problems too, all with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
A leaked memo suggested that some of these problems were caused by iOS 11.3. But who’s to say, right?
Now, to be a part of this settlement, you must have owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus during the specified period. You also needed to have lodged a complaint with Apple about the speaker issues, or have paid Apple to fix or replace your device.
Postcards and emails are currently being sent out by the Settlement Administrator. These are going to folks who are believed to be eligible for a share of the settlement fund.
Apple agreed to settle this class action suit for $35 million because of issues with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. If you get a postcard or an email about this settlement, you’ve got until June 3rd to let the Settlement Administrator know how you want your payment.
You can choose an electronic check, ACH transfer, or a good old-fashioned physical check. You’ll also need to provide the corresponding e-mail address, banking info, or mailing address for the payment’s distribution. If you don’t, you won’t get a settlement claim and will lose any chance to sue Apple for this issue.
You can also opt out of the settlement by June 3rd. If you do, you won’t get a share of the settlement payments, but you’ll still be able to sue Apple. Even if you don’t opt out, you can send a letter to the court by June 3rd stating what you don’t like about the settlement. You can even object to the settlement and request to speak at a hearing on July 18th.
Just a heads up, though. Just because Apple settled the suit for $35 million, it doesn’t mean that the “Settlement Class” will split that amount. As is the norm with class action suits, the lawyers take their cuts before the remaining cash is doled out to the public.
