Summary
- Apple has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a class action lawsuit about battery swelling issues that affected some early generation Apple Watch models.
- To be eligible, affected users must have owned an affected watch, live in the US, and have contacted Apple support about the issue.
- By accepting the settlement, users relinquish the right to future legal action against Apple regarding battery problems with these particular watch models.
If you have one of the first few Apple Watches ever made, Apple might owe you some money.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. In a statement, Apple said it "strongly disagrees" with the claims and settled the lawsuit to "avoid further litigation." Individuals affected could receive $20 to $50 per covered watch, depending on how many people claim the settlement.
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How to know if you're eligible for a payout
You need to have an eligible watch, and reported the issue to Apple
Not everyone with one of the affected Apple Watches is eligible for a payout. Per the settlement's FAQ page, you must have owned an affected Apple Watch, reside in the US, and contacted Apple customer service about the issue between April 24, 2015, and February 6, 2024. Some affected users may receive an email or letter from Apple that redirects them to the settlement's website to submit a claim.
None of the Apple Watch models included in this settlement are available for purchase anymore. The most recent model affected by the issue was the Apple Watch Series 3, which was released in 2017 and discontinued in 2022. If eligible users accept a settlement payment, they forfeit the right to take any future legal action against Apple regarding battery issues on the affected models.
In early January, Apple settled another lawsuit regarding its voice assistant Siri, who allegedly was listening in on private conversations. Like in this Apple Watch settlement, Apple denied wrongdoing and settled the proposed class-action lawsuit "to avoid additional litigation."
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to people Siri eavesdropped on
If Siri has unintentionally listened to one of your private conversations, you may be eligible for a piece of this proposed $95 million settlement.