Apple Watch compensation goes live for battery swelling issues

Apple has just settled a class action lawsuit relating to claims that Siri recorded private conversations when inadvertently activated. Now, the company has agreed on a settlement plan over a lawsuit that alleged battery swelling occurred on its first four smartwatch releases.

Apple has gone to lengths to underline that a settlement does not admit liability or acknowledge any wrongdoing. On the contrary, an official spokesman is quoted by The Verge as remarking that Apple 'strongly disagree[s] with the claims made against these early generation Apple Watch models'.

In other words, Apple thinks that a $20 million settlement in this case will cost it less than ongoing litigation. As always, various caveats exist that limit eligibility. For instance, one must have owned a smartwatch included in the settlement and complained to Apple about battery swelling issues between April 24, 2015 and February 6, 2024. In other words, this compensation does not cover more recent smartwatches sold by Apple, such as the Watch Series 10, Watch Ultra 2 or the Watch SE 2nd Gen (curr. $199 on Amazon).

Additionally, one must be willing to forgo any future action in pursuit of battery issues on these smartwatches. Apple also requires that people eligible have until February 24, 2025, to exclude themselves from the settlement or object to it. By contrast, the settlement allows those concerned to confirm payment information by April 10, 2025, to receive a settlement of between $20 and $50. Please see the Watch Settlement website for more details.