If you owned one of these MacBooks, Apple could be preparing to send you a cheque for £300
Apple's controversial Butterfly keyboard design debuted in 2015 — revised twice in subsequent laptop models — then ultimately phased-out within five years
Apple has started to mail cheques to MacBook owners, with some due to receive as much as $395 — around £300, converted.
The payments are related to a class-action lawsuit filed in the United States back in 2018 over Apple's so-called Butterfly keyboard. This new design first appeared in the MacBook line-up from 2015, offering a thinner profile — freeing up space in the rest of the laptop for other components, and better stability across the surface of the keycap.
When it introduced the Butterfly mechanism, Apple praised the improved stability compared to the lopsided design of a traditional scissor design for a keycap using the above graphic comparing the two methods
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But the butterfly wing-shaped mechanism that enabled these positive traits (and gave the keyboard its name) were its undoing too. The mechanism was fragile, so debris that felt into the keyboard would stop it from working, leave it feeling "sticky", or type the same letter twice. The construction of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro during this period meant replacing a faulty Butterfy keyboard wasn't a simple operation.
Often, the repair would require taking the laptop to an Apple Store to have the entire machine disassembled.
Throughout the lifespan of the Butterfly keyboard, Apple tweaked the design multiple times. First, it introduced a "second-generation" version of the design one year after the initial launch, and then followed it up in 2018 with a silicone membrane beneath the keys to keep out dust and debris.
Finally, Apple started to phase out the Butterfly keyboard design in 2019.
Within 12-months, the design had been expunged from the line-up. The Cupertino company still offers a free repair to anyone with a MacBook that's impacted by this issue and those who have already paid to have the issue repaired themselves will be able to claim a refund from the MacBook manufacturer too. The full terms and conditions are available on the Apple website.
The class action lawsuit filed in 2018 accused Apple of knowing that its keyboards suffered with these problems and concealing it from customers. Apple has denied the lawsuit's central accusation and hasn't admitted to any wrongdoing.
However, the Californian company has agreed to pay $50 million as part of a settlement.
According to the class action settlement, anyone who paid for a topcase replacement within four years of purchasing one of the affected MacBook models will be sent a payment of between $300 - $395 (£235 - £300). Those who only had to pay for the case to be replaced once will be sent $125 (£97). Claimants who only needed their keycaps to be replaced will be paid a maximum of $50 (£39).
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To receive a payment from the $50 million settlement paid by Apple, you'll need to have filed a claim before the deadline. When the settlement was first reached, Reuters reported that it will only those who had purchased an affected laptop n California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York or Washington who would be able to claim a payment.
More details can be found in the FAQ of the class action lawsuit's website.