Apple customers who own faulty Powerbeats 2 devices have begun receiving payouts from a class action lawsuit that Apple settled last year, according to multiple MacRumors readers that have started receiving funds.
Powerbeats 2 owners sued Apple after it was found that some of the headphones had a defect that could cause them to stop working and fail to retain charge after "minimal usage." The plaintiffs in the case alleged that Apple misrepresented the battery life of the Powerbeats 2, and that Apple had said they were sweat and water resistant.
Powerbeats 2 were first released in 2015, and at least some of the failures may have been due to moisture exposure. Apple was also accused of failing to replace or repair defective Powerbeats 2 within the one-year warranty period.
The case did not play out in court as Apple agreed to pay $9.75 million last summer to settle the lawsuit. At the time that it agreed to the payout, Apple said that it denied all allegations and was paying the settlement fee to avoid expensive litigation.
The settlement was approved in January of 2021, and now the money obtained from Apple is being split between all Class Members who submitted claim forms after attorneys' fees and related costs were paid. Anyone who had purchased Powerbeats 2 earbuds before August 2, 2020 were eligible to claim a payment from the settlement.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014.
This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
I'm waiting for a class action lawsuit for the MacBook Air intel 2020 version which is absolutely garbage because of overheating, fan noise, and sluggishness..