Apple Settles Lawsuit with iPhone 7 Users Over Audio Issues

Apple has reached a settlement of $35 million with users of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus who encountered audio issues with their device's microphone. Eligible claimants can receive compensation ranging from $50 to $349 from the tech giant. The settlement is exclusively available to individuals residing in the United States who owned an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus between September 16, 2016, and January 3, 2023, and reported a covered audio issue to Apple or paid for repairs. The deadline to submit a claim is June 3, 2023, through the designated settlement website.

Claimants who incurred expenses for repairs can receive a maximum of $349, while individuals who reported the issue but did not pay for repairs are eligible for up to $125. The minimum payout for eligible claimants is $50. The lawsuit, filed in 2019 by Joseph Casillas and De'Jhontai Banks, alleged that iPhone 7 users experienced audio issues due to an Audio IC Defect. The plaintiffs claimed that Apple was aware of the defect but refused to repair affected phones free of charge.

According to the complaint, "Plaintiff Casillas noticed that his phone's sound was distorted with audible static while attempting to play a video on his phone," and "Plaintiff Banks noticed that she was unable to hear callers unless she used her iPhone's speaker function."