Mobile wallet monopoly, exploding iPhone batteries, and broken butterfly keyboards, oh my! Tech-giant Apple made headlines continually last month as it was named in several class action lawsuits for a variety of reasons. While Apple is no stranger to class actions, this was a particularly busy summer.
Apple Pay Monopoly
Affinity Credit Union accused Apple of blocking competitors from entering the mobile wallet space by unlawfully monopolizing the market. The credit union alleges that Apple Pay is the only mobile wallet option for users of Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, whereas Android users have many mobile wallet choices across devices. According to the plaintiff, with zero competitors on Apple devices, Apple is able to charge fees to payment card issuers that other mobile wallet services do not – fees which, according to the suit, generated $1 billion for Apple in 2019.
Exploding iPhone 6 Batteries
A federal judge in Texas decided not to dismiss a class action suit against Apple alleging the company has tricked its customers into believing its iPhone 6 batteries were safe. A consumer claims to have sustained serious injuries after a phone exploded. The judge ruled the plaintiff made plausible claims under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and has allowed the case to move forward.
Defective Keyboards Cost Apple $50 Million
Apple agreed to pay $50 million to resolve claims it knowingly sold MacBooks with defective butterfly keyboards. Plaintiffs allege these keyboards were known to fail and were then costly to fix. Eligible class members who had to replace multiple keyboards may receive $300 in compensation, while customers who had to replace one keyboard are eligible to receive $100 under the current proposed settlement.
Apple Settles iOS 9 Slow-Down Allegations
Apple also agreed to pay $20 million to resolve claims that its iOS9 operating system update slowed down services on its S4 model iPhones. Plaintiffs accused the company of falsely representing the update. Eligible class members will receive as much as $150 in compensation.
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