The iPhone 7 Class Action Lawsuit: A Settlement for Audio Issues
Following the release of the iPhone 7 in 2016, Apple has agreed to a $35 million settlement due to audio issues affecting iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users. This settlement was prompted by a class action lawsuit relating to the “audio IC” chip, which sometimes caused users to experience problems such as a grayed-out speaker button, an unfunctional Voice Memos app, degraded microphone audio quality, and issues with Siri voice commands, collectively known as “Covered Issues.”
To be eligible for the settlement, individuals must be U.S. residents who owned an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16, 2016, and January 3, 2023. They must have reported or documented their experience with the Covered Issues and had to pay Apple for repair or replacements. Those who didn’t pay Apple out of pocket could still receive up to $125. The deadline for claim submission was initially set for June 3, 2024, but the court revised it to July 3, 2024, for reasons undisclosed.
Inclusion in the settlement class excludes Apple itself, entities with a controlling interest, Apple employees, legal representatives, successors, and assigns, among others. Eligible members of the settlement class should have received a notification, but those unsure can reach out toll-free at 1-833-633-0343 or write to the Class Action Administrator at 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
A Final Approval Hearing has been scheduled for July 18, 2024, to approve the amounts and recipients of the payments, pending the court’s final approval of the settlement. While the money received won’t be life-changing for many, it is a relatively larger reimbursement compared to usual class-action payouts that are often less than $25 years later.
