Apple-Accusing Lawsuit Over iPhone Water Resistance Claims Dismissed by US Judge

The judge also found no proof of fraud, citing a lack of evidence that Apple intended to overstate its water resistance claims.

By Reuters | Updated: 3 February 2022 12:07 IST

Apple-Accusing Lawsuit Over iPhone Water Resistance Claims Dismissed by US Judge

Photo Credit: Apple

Apple advertisements had made various claims about the iPhone’s resistance to water damage

Highlights

Plaintiffs claim Apple false advertising let it charge twice the price
iPhone handsets accounted for $71.6 billion (roughly Rs. 5,35,955 crore)
Neither Apple nor its lawyers responded about the lawsuit

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing Apple Inc of misleading consumers about how resistant its iPhone handsets are to water exposure.

Apple's advertisements had made various claims about the iPhone's resistance to damage when submerged or otherwise exposed to water, including that some models could survive depths of 4 metres (13.1 feet) for 30 minutes.

The named plaintiffs, two from New York and one from South Carolina, claimed that Apple's "false and misleading" misrepresentations let the company charge twice as much for iPhone models than the cost of "average smartphones."

iPhone SE 3, New iPad Models Imported to India Ahead of Launch: Report

US District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that Apple's ads could mislead consumers, but did not show their iPhone units were damaged by "liquid contact" Apple promised they could withstand.

The judge also found no proof of fraud, citing a lack of evidence that Apple intended to overstate its water resistance claims, or that the plaintiffs relied on fraudulent marketing statements when buying their iPhone handsets.

Spencer Sheehan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said his clients are disappointed with the decision, and no decision has been made whether to appeal.

How to Add COVID-19 Vaccine Records to Apple Health, Wallet

Neither Apple nor lawyers for the Cupertino, California-based company immediately responded to requests for comment.

In the quarter ended December 25, 2021, iPhone handsets accounted for $71.6 billion (roughly Rs. 5,35,955 crore), or 58 percent, of Apple's $123.9 billion (roughly Rs. 9,27,441 crore) of net sales.

The case is Smith et al v Apple Inc, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 21-03657.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

What's most interesting about Apple's new MacBook Pros, M1 Pro and M1 Max silicon, AirPods (3rd Generation), and Apple Music Voice plan? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.