Apple to Compensate Early Apple Watch Owners in Lawsuit Settlement

Apple has reached a $20 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging that certain early Apple Watch models suffered from a battery defect that caused screens to detach or crack (via CNET).

apple watch series 3
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit accused Apple of manufacturing the original, Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watches without sufficient internal space to accommodate normal battery swelling. The plaintiffs argued that the lithium-ion batteries put pressure on the display and other components when they expanded, leading to structural damage. In some cases, users reported that the screens separated entirely from the watch casing. Apple has strongly denied any wrongdoing, but the company has agreed to settle the case to avoid prolonged litigation.

Under the terms of the settlement, Apple will create a $20 million non-reversionary fund to compensate consumers who experienced battery swelling issues with the affected models. Consumers who qualify will receive a payment of $20 per affected device, with the potential for a higher amount depending on the total number of claims filed. As with most class-action settlements, the total amount received by individual claimants will depend on the number of participants and a significant portion of the $20 million fund will also go toward legal fees and administrative costs.

No claim form is required for class members who are already registered in Apple's records as having reported battery swelling issues. These individuals will automatically receive compensation unless they choose to opt out of the settlement by February 24, 2025. Apple Watch owners who believe they qualify but have not yet confirmed their eligibility need to do so by submitting their payment method on the official settlement website before April 10, 2025.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Visa and American Express Vying to Win Apple Card Deal in 'Fierce' Fight

Tuesday April 1, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Visa wants to pay Apple approximately $100 million to be the new payment network for the Apple Card, reports The Wall Street Journal. As of right now, the Apple Card is on the Mastercard payment network, but that is set to change because Apple is ending its partnership with Goldman Sachs. Both American Express and Visa are vying to replace Mastercard as Apple's card services provider, while...

Top Rated Comments

vertsix Avatar
9 weeks ago

Of course they did!
"Guys, we did NOT screw up here! We swear! Here's some money so you shut up though. And don't let anyone else know. We didn't do it though!"
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
naughtmike Avatar
9 weeks ago
When this happened to me, I was able to convince the Apple Genius at our local mall to give me a replacement. Because Apple made this right, I had considered opting out of the settlement payment. However, because Apple chose to deny any wrongdoing, I am going to happily claim my settlement check.



Attachment Image
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
9 weeks ago

"Guys, we did NOT screw up here! We swear! Here's some money so you shut up though. And don't let anyone else know. We didn't do it though!"
Class action lawsuit: Step one of apple customer support.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WestonHarvey1 Avatar
9 weeks ago
Ha I remember the day this happened to me. I heard a rattling sound on my wrist and thought the steel clasp had come undone, and looked down to see it was the screen completely detached and hanging by its ribbon cable.

$20 here I come!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
9 weeks ago

Apple has strongly denied any wrongdoing, but the company has agreed to settle the case
Of course they did!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WestonHarvey1 Avatar
9 weeks ago

They did end up taking care of people on that deal, but long afterward. I had a AW3 (i think it was a 3) that this happened to while I was swimming. I could feel a huge drag on my left wrist out of nowhere when treading water and looked down to see it hanging by the ribbon cable. They obviously wouldn't do anything for me at the time and I didn't have AC on it as I had bought it second hand on Craigslist. I tossed it in a drawer after I bought a newer AW4 and didn't think about it. A few years later, they announced they'd still warranty them. Mailed mine in or took it to the genius bar I couldn't say, but got a refurbed unit for it.

I'd still welcome a $20 spot but being that I was a second hand consumer AND they already replaced it, I don't think I'll see any.
They wouldn't do anything for me either, and wanted $250. Since I bought it with my AMEX, it had an extra year warranty so AMEX paid for it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)