Lawsuit Claims Apple Fails to Resolve Crackling and ANC Issues in AirPods Pro

In 2020, Apple acknowledged that certain AirPods Pro models experienced crackling sounds and issues with the Active Noise Cancellation feature. To address this, the company initiated a recall program enabling customers to return their AirPods for replacements.

Apple asserted that only units manufactured before October 2020 were susceptible to these issues, but a recent lawsuit claims otherwise, suggesting that Apple’s own actions demonstrate a different reality…

Apple’s service program recognized both problems reported by users:

An affected AirPods Pro may demonstrate one or more of the following symptoms:

– Increased crackling or static sounds in noisy environments, during exercise, or when on a phone call.

– Active Noise Cancellation failing to perform as anticipated, which includes a decrease in bass sounds or an amplification of ambient noises like street sounds or airplane noise.

The company proposed three solutions to rectify the issues:

Nonetheless, a fresh class action lawsuit reported by ClassAction alleges that Apple did not effectively resolve the issue in subsequent versions of the same model.

According to the class action, the reported audio defects are present in all AirPods Pro Gen 1 headphones, irrespective of their manufacturing date.

Consumers began reporting sound issues with the AirPods Pro Gen 1 shortly after their launch in October 2019. Despite Apple admitting to these problems, the company continued selling the devices at premium prices until September 2022, as cited in the case.

The lawsuit argues that the service program was ineffective, merely exchanging one defective set for another. A thorough analysis of the design and components before and after the specified cutoff date shows no significant changes that would resolve the problems.

“In essence, those users simply received another faulty pair of AirPods Pro Gen 1, with numerous users encountering the Audio Defect again with the replacement set,” the lawsuit contends […]

The filing asserts that there is no notable difference in first-generation AirPods Pro devices manufactured before or after October 2020, the date indicated on Apple’s support page.

The law firm claims that Apple was aware of these issues, as evidenced by its decision to extend the service program for an additional year.

Just weeks before the original October 31, 2021 expiration date of Apple’s AirPods Pro service program, the company modified this timeline to extend coverage for affected AirPods for three years post the initial retail sale, effectively adding another year of service, according to the lawsuit.

It is worth mentioning that Apple typically takes similar steps when ongoing issues arise over an extended timeframe, ensuring that customers who experience problems later are still covered.

If you are impacted by this situation, no action is required on your part at this time. Should Apple propose a settlement, customers will then have the opportunity to file a claim.

Source: Macworld.