Apple has agreed to a $20 million settlement over a protracted class action suit relating to battery malfunctions on some Apple watches. The suit has dragged on since 2018, but it has finally been resolved, paving the way for settlements to be paid to affected users. The plaintiffs’ grouse revolves around issues with certain Apple wristwatches, like the first generation, Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3, and is related to battery swell. Apple did not admit wrongdoing and maintains that its watches have not experienced such problems. Despite this, both parties have reached a compromise: Apple has agreed to the $20 million settlement to forestall future litigation.
All U.S. residents impacted by the lawsuit, which includes those who own (or have owned) a covered watch for personal or household use as well as those who Apple has documented as having reported issues regarding battery swelling are part of this settlement. Of course, the settlement excludes Apple employees, the judges in the case, and the usual folks who are excluded in such cases (such as associates and family members of the excluded.)
If you elect to be excluded from the suit, you need to indicate that to the Settlement Administrator before February 24th. Finally, you could choose not to take any action, which might still result in you receiving a payout if the Settlement Administrator has your valid payment information. Do note that this counts as joining the suit as a class member, though.