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Apple Offers to Settle iPod Battery Lawsuit With Vouchers, Extended Warranties

by , 3:50 PM EDT, June 2nd, 2005

Apple Computer has offered a settlement of US$50 vouchers and extended service warranties in a class action lawsuit filed in the fall of 2003 amid charges that the company misrepresented the rechargeable battery used in its iPod, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

The tentative settlement, which was approved last month, will go to another hearing for final approval on Aug. 25.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs told the AP that up to two million consumers who bought first-, second- and third-generation iPods through May 2004 could be eligible for inclusion in the class action. Apple has created a Web site with additional details, including a claim form and answers to frequently asked questions from those with older iPods wanting a battery replacement.

Initially reported by The Mac Observer in February 2004, the class action suit was originally five separate lawsuits that were consolidated in a California court, according to the quarterly report filed by Apple with the Securities and Exchange Commission at the time. That May, Apple's next quarterly report revealed that two more iPod battery lawsuits had been filed and added to the class action.

The $50 vouchers will be good toward any Apple products or services at the company's online or brick-and-mortar retail stores, except iTunes downloads or gift certificates, the AP reported. The settlement will also extend the iPod's one-year warranty to two years. A Web site has been set up to assist consumers who have questions or need a claim form.

The lawsuit cited Apple's claims that the battery would last for the lifetime of the device and would play music for up to 10 hours straight.

iPod users' complaints about the MP3 player's battery life started to gain momentum with the 3rd generation of the units introduced in 2003. The issue gained some notoriety when Casey Neistat and his brother began a guerilla marketing campaign saying "iPod's unreplaceable battery lasts only 18 months." The brothers then filmed their efforts and released a video at iPodsDirtySecret.com that quickly swept the Internet. Whether or not it was related to this campaign, shortly thereafter Apple began offering a battery replacement service for $99.

Observer Comments

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View Name:RealityCheck -   Troll Posts: 392 Joined: 06 May 2004
Subject: Court Agrees - Apple Lied About iPod Batteries
View Name:Guest
Subject: RC the Genius
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Subject:
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Subject:
Close Name:jacrav Posts: 268 Joined: 04 Jul 2001
Subject: "In reality,

"many customers … "
The class action suit has been filed by EIGHT people, where are the "many" ? Of course, they obtained class certification for the suit, but I wonder how many just hopped on the train for the ride …

Close Name:jacrav Posts: 268 Joined: 04 Jul 2001
Subject: Apple was wrong, though …

in advertizing the battery ilfe "for the life of the iPod" … I'm sure they've revised their copy and won't make stupid claims like that any more. That probably is the main reason they had to offer a settlement …

View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: The Mini is a 'special' case.
View Name:Guest
Subject:
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Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: Links are working fine... learn how to use your computer
View Name:Guest
Subject: Apple Ipod battery problem
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 2837 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Wow! People think Apple makes the batteries. They don't (in fact there is a very small number of battery manufacturers in the world, and almost none in the US).

Problems with battery life can be from a number of things:

    Battery manufacturer overstated the capacity of the battery
    Apple underestimated the power draw of the product
    Batteries have a manufacturing defect
    Process problem at the assembly line causing poor connections in iPod
    Problem with the charging mechanism on some iPods
    Overcycling the battery (numerous full drawdowns of LiIon batteries is bad)

I'm sure there are others. Point is, there may be a problem with the batteries that may or may not be Apple's fault (I have numerous iPods in the family and only the original 5GB has had the battery replaced, after 4 years, at a cost of $30). The settlement is no admission of guilt on Apple's part (as is normal for this type of settlement).

FWIW, Palm Pilots have had the same issue with batteries for some people (mine wore out sooner than those owned by my coworkers), and those are NOT user replaceable (unlike the iPods). They are batteries. It happens.

At least, if you have had a problem, you can get some compensation (and it is not a bad deal, actually).

View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: 4th Generation any better?
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 2837 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: 4th Generation any better?

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
I have a new one and my battery only lasts 4hrs on a charge...where's the 10-12hrs I'm promised?


Take it in and have the battery replaced if it is bad. It will be replaced for free.

However, what bitrate is your music at and how long are the songs, in general? This can have a lot of impact on battery life.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Rechargable batteries
View Name:Guest
Subject: Re: 4th Generation any better?
View Name:Guest
Subject: Re: 4th Generation any better?
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Subject: Re: 4th Generation any better?
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Subject:
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Subject:
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Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: The Mini is a 'special' case.
View Name:Guest
Subject: bullshit
View Name:Guest
Subject: Buying a iPod Mini was a big mistake
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