In 2019, a class-action lawsuit was filed that detailed the battery-swelling attributes of multiple Apple Watch models, which caused various problems, such as the display popping out of the assembly, along with a myriad of other issues. The filing was carried out at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that the problem affected owners of the Apple Watch Series 1, Apple Watch Series 2, and Apple Watch Series 3. Even though the company denied any wrongdoing, it has agreed to settle the lawsuit for $20 million, with affected users expected to receive a payout.
Eligible Apple Watch owners can receive anywhere between $20 and $50 as compensation
Affected Apple Watch owners who want to qualify for compensation need to be based in the U.S. and must have reported issues related to the battery swelling, which involves filing the incident with the company’s customer service between April 24, 2015, and February 6, 2024. The compensation amount is nothing to write home about, ranging between $20 and $50, depending on the number of claims submitted. It is likely that the majority of affected Apple Watch owners will ignore this settlement due to the inadequate amount.
“This settlement applies to purchasers of Original Apple Watch, Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3, which are no longer available for purchase. While we strongly disagree with the claims made against these early generation Apple Watch models, we agreed to settle to avoid further litigation.”
Those seeking a payout must submit a request by April 10, 2025, and visit watchsettlement.com for additional details. However, if an Apple Watch owner accepts the payment, they will waive their ability to pursue legal action against the Cupertino firm related to this specific matter. Unfortunately, affected Apple Watch owners cannot request a larger settlement from the court, so they will be stuck with the aforementioned amounts.
On hearing that there is likely no other option than this, gaining $20 to $50 more is better than walking away with zero compensation. As for Apple, $20 million is like pocket change for a company that reported $36.3 billion in profit from its Q1 2025 earnings quarter.
News Source: CNET
