Apple's popular line of Beats wireless headphones is the subject of a filing for a potential class-action lawsuit alleging that the devices don't work as advertised for voice calls. The suit, filed in August in California, says that headphones under Apple's Beats umbrella, including the Beats Fit Pro, Beats Solo Pro and Beats, suffer from poor-quality audio when used for videoconference apps such as Teams or Zoom.
The plaintiff's team is seeking a class-action certification in the case, which would open up the suit to others who also purchased Beats products.
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A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Kimberly Feeney, purchased a set of Beats headphones in 2024. She said people she communicated with while using the headphones on Teams and Zoom couldn't hear her on calls. Her problems persisted despite numerous visits to the Apple Genius Bar.
If certified, the class-action lawsuit would include customers who purchased Beats Fit Pro, Beats Solo Pro or other Beats headphones after July 9, 2021.
Do class actions against companies like Apple work?
Whether the suit is granted certification and moves forward to trial or grants anyone in the future restitution for headphones depends on a number of factors, including Apple's resources and ability to fight off litigation like this.
But while Apple may have an advantage over less established companies in fighting class-action suits, it's still possible there could be a resolution on this one, said Jameson Pasek, director of litigation practice at Caldwell Law.
"The class-action mechanism, to a certain extent, levels the field by aggregating consumer claims," Pasek said. While about 60% to 70% of motions for class-action certification are granted, only a fraction go to trial or yield big wins for plaintiffs.
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