Apple has agreed to pay $50 million to settle the lawsuit over flawed “butterfly” keyboards in MacBooks in the US. A group of MacBook users in 2018 had filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple for the controversial butterfly keyboards, alleging that the new design failed when even tiny particles of dust accumulated around the switches. They alleged that the company concealed the fact that its butterfly keys were prone to failure. The lawsuit covered those who purchased an Apple MacBook with a butterfly keyboard in seven states: California, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, and Michigan. Apple later launched an improved keyboard design in late 2019.
Once the $50 million agreement is approved, those who replaced multiple keyboards can expect maximum payouts of $300 to $395 and people who replaced one keyboard can get $125 and those who replaced key ‘caps mat’ get $50, reports CNBC. Law firms Girard Sharp LLP and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner and Donaldson-Smith LLP can claim up to $15 million from the $50 million windfall to cover legal fees.