Soon after Apple released its first-generation AirPods Pro wireless earbuds in 2019, buyers began complaining of issues with crackling noises coming from their new earbuds. Now a trio of Apple customers have filed a class action lawsuit (via MacRumors) against Apple, accusing the company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell AirPods Pro earbuds with crackling noises.
While Apple initially tried to fix the issue with firmware updates, the company eventually launched an AirPods Pro repair program in October 2020. While AirPod Pro owners experiencing the issue were able to bring them into an Apple Store for repair or a replacement, many customers soon found that the replacement earbuds also suffered from the same issue.
In the class action lawsuit Apple now faces, plaintiffs are requesting “relief” due to the defective nature of the AirPods Pro. The lawsuit says customers would not have purchases the AirPods Pro had Apple made the flaw clear.
The lawsuit also accuses Apple of false advertising for using ad copy like “superior sound quality” and “pure, incredibly clear sound,” while they were aware there was an issue with the earbuds making crackling and static noises.
The court will now need to determine if the arguments made in the lawsuit hold up, and whether the case deserves class action status.