Apple plans to appeal a staggering $5.7 billion verdict over the tech behind the iPhone’s Taptic Engine

After a recent $634 million verdict in which Apple was ordered to pay Masimo for infringing on its blood-oxygen technology, it seems the Cupertino-based giant has found itself in hot water again. A San Diego jury has handed Apple a $5.7 billion haptics bill over its Taptic Engine. Taction’s vibration physics and Apple’s Taptic Engine now face a jury-certified overlap, putting the lawsuit’s value at nearly $5,721,961,750.

A mammoth verdict that encompasses two patents

The jury in question is a federal jury in San Diego that found that Apple’s Taptic Engine infringes on two of Taction Technology’s patents, i.e., US 10,659,885 and US 10,820,117, and set the damages at a staggering $5.7 billion, which is currently the largest patent verdict against a tech company.

According to the findings, the patent covers a linear actuator tuned with electromagnetic damping to vibrate accurately within a 15–120 Hz band instead of buzzing at a fixed frequency, which is what normal haptic motors use, according to Taction.

Not willful infringement

The jury also found the infringement wasn’t willful, which ruled out further damages, but Apple says it will appeal what is an unexpectedly large ruling against the Cupertino-based tech giant.

The jury comprises seven people and decided that the buzz in an iPhone’s keyboard is worth $5.7 billion in patent infringement damages, to be awarded to a haptics company few people have heard of.

According to filings in Taction Tech. Inc. v. Apple Inc. in the Southern District of California, the two patents covered “damped electromagnetically actuated planar motion for audio-frequency vibrations.”

Simply put, the filing states that a normal motor moves a small weight to produce a buzz at a single frequency. Taction, on the other hand, uses electromagnetic damping for high-fidelity haptics in the 15–120 Hz range, providing the haptic feedback we are all accustomed to on iPhones.

According to CNBC, Taction’s counsel is pleased with the verdict, as a lawyer from Quinn Emanuel stated, “We're happy the jury found for Taction and vindicated its patent rights. Taction waited five and a half years for this case to get to trial, so it was a long time coming.”

Apple has used its Taptic Engine since the iPhone 6s, and it also appears in every Apple Watch. Apple, however, disputed the findings, not just the damages amount. The company stated:

“Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, which Taction’s own testing of Apple’s products confirmed during trial. Apple does not use Taction’s technology, and we will appeal.”