If your Apple Watch battery was swelling, Apple may owe you money!
If you owned one of the early Apple Watch model that suffered from a defect causing battery swelling, Apple might compensate you—provided you’re eligible for a payout.
Apple has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit accusing it of selling its smartwatches despite being aware that early models didn’t have enough internal space to accommodate the battery. The engineering oversight caused the battery to swell until it crack or detach the display from the case.
The company hasn’t admitted to wrongdoing but has agreed to settle the case anyway, which is its way of saying, “Sorry, folks.” You have until April 10, 2025, to apply for a payout or opt out of the settlement by February 24, 2025.
Find out if you’re eligible for compensation over the Apple Watch battery swelling issue
“This settlement applies to purchasers of original Apple Watch, Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3, which are no longer available for purchase,” Apple said in a statement. “While we strongly disagree with the claims made against these early generation Apple Watch models, we agreed to settle to avoid further litigation.”
All Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 models have had this problem. Apple Watch Series 4 and newer models don’t have this issue because the Series 4 models were the first to come in the new 40mm and 44mm case sizes (versus the previous 38mm and 42mm sizes), so they could accommodate battery swelling.
All lithium-ion batteries swell over time. That’s especially true for wrist-worn devices like smartwatches which are exposed to sun rays during the hot summer days. I’m among early Apple Watch owners who suffered from this issue. One day, the display on my Apple Watch Series 1 cracked and detached from the casing, leaving me confused because I didn’t remember dropping my watch at all.
CNET reports that compensation will range from $20 to $50 per device, depending on the number of claims submitted. If you’re eligible for a payout, you’ll receive a notice via email or postcard informing you of your eligibility for a class payment. If you think you might be eligible for a payout, visit the settlement website to submit your payment method by April 10. “To qualify for compensation, users must have owned an affected Apple Watch model in the United States and reported issues related to battery swelling, such as filing a complaint with customer service, between April 24, 2015, and February 6, 2024,” the article reads.
If you previously reported the battery swelling issue to Apple, you’ll automatically receive compensation. Otherwise, be sure to opt out of the settlement by February 24, 2025, because you waive your rights to sue Apple over the battery issue by accepting the settlement payment.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/01/31/apple-watch-battery-swelling-class-action-lawsuit-settlement/
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