Time is running out to claim part of a proposed $35 million settlement on a class action lawsuit leveled against Apple five years ago.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2019 as Tabak, et al. v. Apple Inc., alleged that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus had a faulty audio chip, which led to audio issues and limited calling and voice features. The iPhone 7 was the first Apple phone without an audio jack.
Apple denied the allegations and agreed to a $35 million class settlement in May 2023 to resolve them.
Now iPhone 7 or 7 Plus users who experienced audio issues and owned either model between September 16, 2016 and January 3, 2023 could be eligible for a slice of up to $349 of the proposed settlement.
The iPhone 7 on September 17, 2016. (Photo by Hitoshi Yamada/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The settlement applies only to U.S. residents who reported audio issues with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus to Apple within the specified timeframe, including problems with the phone speaker, microphone, and receiver.
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Anyone who paid Apple out of pocket for repairs or replacements related to those issues is eligible too.
The payment will be at least $50 and a maximum of $349 for those who paid Apple for repairs or replacements, and up to $125 for anyone who reported the audio-related issues with the phone to Apple.
This means that some could get back what they paid Apple for repairs. Apple’s statement in the settlement proposal shows that, on average, customers paid the tech giant $193 to fix the issues covered in the filing.
The deadline to file a claim is June 3. Affected Apple customers can access the claim form on the settlement website.
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Apple is facing other lawsuits including one in March from the Department of Justice alleging anticompetitive practices.
The DOJ targeted Apple’s developer fees and said the company made it hard for customers to go outside its ecosystem.
Apple said the lawsuit was “wrong on the facts and the law,” and the company will “vigorously defend against it.”
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