Apple may soon have to go to court over noise, interference and a series of other issues related to sound quality on the first generation AirPods Pro model, released in 2019 and sold until September 2022.
Immediately after the launch of the first AirPods Pro, the first users of this headset model flocked to social networking groups and online technology forums to complain about the phenomenon of annoying static noise. , rattling and even popping sounds while listening to music. This phenomenon becomes worse when users walk or run wearing headphones, sometimes causing loss of bass and increased noise from the environment.
This is the issue raised in the 51-page complaint titled LaBella et al v. Apple. The plaintiffs say the purpose of this legal campaign is not only to target Apple's decision to continue selling the earbuds despite knowing about the problems, but also to clarify the company's advertising untruths about the “superior sound quality” and “incredibly clear, crystal-clear sound” that AirPods Pro can deliver.
Apple's marketing allegedly misled a large number of potential customers, many of whom were unaware that such crackling noises and background noise were unusual. The plaintiff's argument is that many people would definitely avoid buying headphones if they knew about this problem, or considered the headphones defective at a more reasonable price.
“AirPods Pro Gen 1 are not worth the high price consumers paid, as they have audio errors and do not live up to Apple's advertising promises of sound quality and complete noise cancellation. perfect“, the suit alleges.
The plaintiff is seeking relief and monetary damages. Additionally, they want Apple to replace all defective devices for free. If the court determines the lawsuit is meritorious and Apple is found guilty, all AirPods Pro owners in the United States will likely receive compensation in the form of Apple gift cards, redeemable for future purchases from the company.
As for Apple, Apple knows clearly about the above issue. At first, the company tried to fix the problem with emergency software updates. But those strange sounds continue to appear on AirPods Pro. So it quickly became clear that the problem was hardware-based. Finally, the company gave in and announced a support program called AirPods Pro Service Program for Sound Issues in October 2020.
Apple later admitted that “a small percentage” of AirPods Pro units manufactured before October 2020 may experience audio issues. However, the plaintiffs claim that all AirPods Pro units are affected regardless of their manufacturing date. Furthermore, they accuse the company of refusing to notify AirPods Pro owners of the existence of the service program. As a result, many AirPods Pro owners are not receiving support.
Regardless, Apple has admitted that the issues range from “crackling or increased noise in noisy environments, when exercising, or when talking on the phone” to active noise cancellation that “doesn't work.” works as expected, such as losing bass or increasing background sounds – street or airplane noise A year later, Apple quietly extended the service program for another year, and updated the details details that the AirPods Pro “warranty is affected for 3 years after the first retail sale of the device”.
Anyone experiencing the above issues can bring their AirPods Pro to Apple for a free repair or replacement. But it turns out, many people were having similar problems with replacements, which suggests there was a fundamental problem with all the devices rather than just being limited to a group of headphones made in one time frame. specifically. The problem will only be completely fixed in the AirPods Pro 2 version released in 2022.
Over the past few years, Apple has issued a series of service programs to address hardware errors. The company recently announced a program for a hardware issue that was affecting a “very small percentage” of iPhone 14 Plus devices, where the rear camera was not showing a preview in the Camera app.
