Apple Settles Class Action Lawsuit Over Powerbeats 2, Agrees to Pay $9.75 Million

Apple has settled a class action lawsuit related to the Powerbeats 2 headphones, which was levied against the Cupertino company after some customers found that the Powerbeats 2, first released in 2015, had a defect that could cause them to stop working and fail to retain charge after "minimal usage."

powerbeats2
Plaintiffs alleged that Apple misrepresented the battery life of the Powerbeats 2, and that the Powerbeats 2 were sweat and water resistant. Apple was also accused of not repairing or replacing defective Powerbeats 2 within the one-year warranty period, with the lawsuit initially filed in 2017.

There was no ruling by the court as Apple and the plaintiffs in the case have agreed to a settlement that will see Apple paying $9,750,000. Apple says that it denies all allegations and is paying the settlement fee to avoid expensive litigation. The $9.75 million will be split between all Class Members who submit claim forms (one payment per household) after attorneys' fees and related costs are paid.

Details about the settlement were sent out to Powerbeats 2 owners this evening. Customers who purchased new Powerbeats 2 earbuds before August 7, 2020 can claim a payment from the settlement after it is approved by the Superior Court of the State of California, Santa Clara County. A hearing is set to be held on January 15, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.

For those who owned or own Powerbeats 2, claims can be submitted online through the settlement website, which also includes more information on the settlement agreement. Those who want to participate in the settlement need to do so by November 20, 2020.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....

Top Rated Comments

bunty07 Avatar
69 months ago
Some one should start a class action for AirPods and AirPods Pro as well!! Disposable after 1 year the AirPods! AirPods Pro one AirPod is not working, battery drains really fast! Not happy with the purchase.
I’m going back to wired connections!!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
69 months ago
finally I'll get closure to this and get my $1.95 check in the mail. Thank goodness
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eriamjh1138@DAN Avatar
69 months ago

the Powerbeats 2, first released in 2015 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/14/beats-powerbeats2-sport-colors/'), had a defect that could cause them to stop working and fail to retain charge after "minimal usage."
so... like AirPods after two years.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Seoras Avatar
69 months ago
Tim Cook digs behind the couch cushions for some lost change - "here ya go..."
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
frownface Avatar
69 months ago
lets see, 9.75 million, less attorney fees; divided by the the number of plaintiffs; leaves around just enough to buy a new pair of silicone ear tips.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Analog Kid Avatar
69 months ago

so... like AirPods after two years.
Two years of daily use is not minimal usage. That's 600+ deep charging cycles on a battery you need to handle with tweezers. Lithium Ion batteries have a cycle life.

As I've said before-- you're simply complaining that you've loved your Airpods to death.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)