Apple to settle Watch battery swelling suit for $20M, maintains innocence

Apple has agreed to pay $20 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit over battery swelling on the Apple Watch. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2019, the suit alleges that the problem affected the first four Apple Watch models.

Battery swelling is pretty much what it sounds like: a buildup of heat and gas inside the lithium-ion battery, causing its walls to expand. The phenomenon can, in turn, damage or break other components in the device as it grows within the tightly-packed space.

Apple continues to deny the issue, stating that it only paid in order to avoid future legal fees from a suit that stretched on for more than five years.

The company had even stronger words in a statement sent to TechCrunch, stating:

Apple Watch is designed to be safe and reliable. This settlement applies to purchasers of Original Apple Watch, Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3, which are no longer available for purchase. While we strongly disagree with the claims made against these early generation Apple Watch models, we agreed to settle to avoid further litigation.

To qualify for payout, users need to have alerted Apple customer service to the issue between April 24, 2015 and February 6, 2024. Eligible parties must reside in the U.S. They will receive notification via postcard or email. Compensation is based on how many complaints the impacted party filed during the above window, with class payments ranging from $20 to $50.

Watch owners must further submit payment information to the lawsuit’s official site before April 10, 2025 to receive payment.

The settlement comes a week after Google-owned Fitbit was required to pay a $12.25 million penalty due to battery overheating on its Ionic smartwatch.