Every generation of the Apple Watch suffers from a defect that can cause the screen to crack or detach from the wearable's housing, a new lawsuit alleges. Filed in California, the lawsuit is for a relatively small amount -- $5 million -- but seeks class certification on behalf of all Apple Watch owners and is attempting to raise awareness of Apple's alleged efforts to conceal the defect from customers.
According to plaintiff Kenneth Sciacca's lawsuit, first spotted by Patently Apple, the defect can begin to surface within days or weeks after the Apple Watch is purchased, even when the user has done nothing wrong. Apple is alleged to have known about the defect since the release of the original Apple Watch in April 2015, when consumers began to complain about the issue on Apple's forums and in Apple's stores. Despite that knowledge, Apple persistently denied "any widespread issue" with Apple Watches, the lawsuit notes.
While the lawsuit doesn't specifically identify the defect, it notes that Apple belatedly announced warranty extension plans for certain versions of the Watch suffering from swelling batteries, which have in some cases caused Watches' screens to pop out. When confronted with user complaints about cracked screens, Apple is said to routinely deny that there's a defect, blame the user for "accidental damage," then refuse warranty coverage, leaving the user to pay for repairs.
Notably, Apple Watches have been offered in multiple screen sizes and materials since their introduction -- 38mm and 42mm display sizes, with either Ion-X glass or sapphire faces. It's unclear whether the issue affects only specific screen materials or sizes, but photos accompanying the lawsuit show a stainless steel Apple Watch that has a sapphire-covered screen. Sapphire is known to be harder to scratch than glass, but also less flexible and easier to crack, which could be contributing to the issues.
Sciacca's lawsuit alleges violations of both state and federal law, including a conscious effort to conceal material facts about the screen defect during sale of the Watches. He requests a jury trial and class certification, and if Apple's recent history of proposed class action lawsuits provides any clues, there's a reasonable likelihood that other people will either join this suit or file another one separately.