Apple Powerbeats Pro Wireless Headphones Inadequate Charging Class Action

Apple, Inc. offers Powerbeats Pro headphones under the Beats by Dre brand. Apple advertises that the wireless, rechargeable headphones provide many hours of operation per charge, but the complaint alleges that the headphones do not charge adequately and cannot deliver the advertised performance.

The class for this action is all persons in the US who bought Apple’s Beats by Dre Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones within the applicable statutes of limitations. An Illinois Subclass has also been defined for those who bought the headphones in Illinois.

Apple claims that the headphones offer “up to 9 hours listening time” on one charge and that their charging case offers “more than 24 hours listening time” as well as continuous Bluetooth connectivity. The length of listening time is material to consumers, the complaint alleges, because the headphones are wireless and cannot be used with a wired connection.

However, the complaint alleges that Apple’s “charging case fails to consistently and adequately charge the Powerbeats Pro headphones due to a defect in its design and/or due to [Apple’s] use of substandard materials.”

As of September 2016, starting with the iPhone 7, Apple stopped providing a headphone jack for its iPhones, says the complaint. Wired headphones therefore cannot be used with the company’s smartphones, the complaint alleges, and “other major smartphone providers such as Samsung and Google have followed suit.” Wireless headphones are therefore in demand.

Apple highlights the purported long use of the headphones, the complaint alleges, using “this same selling point consistently and pervasively across its various marketing materials in numerous ways, including in print, visual media, on its website, and on the products themselves.” One such use was Apple’s “sponsoring a campaign where distance runners supposedly ran across Iceland for 24 hours straight while using [Apple’s] Powerbeats.”

This advertising, the complaint alleges, “is intended to cement the idea in consumers’ minds that [Apple’s] Powerbeats Pro headphones can be used continuously and without interruption for long periods of time.” Yet it claims that the headphones “fail[] to obtain an adequate charge, if any at all, from the included charging case in addition to a failure to maintain consistent Bluetooth connectivity.”

The complaint notes that the charging is supposed to take place when the headphones are in the case and placed “so that the metal contacts on each headphone touch the metal contacts on the case.” The metal contacts are magnetic and are meant to hold the headphones in place as they charge, but the complaint claims they are not strong enough. Also, the complaint alleges, “because the ear hooks on [Apple’s] Powerbeats are long and bendable, the earbuds are often unable to connect or maintain connection to the metal contacts in the case.”

The headphones thus may not make connection with the metal contacts, the complaint claims, or may become easily dislodged. In addition, it alleges, “due to [Apple’s] use of substandard materials, the Powerbeats Pro headphones often do not charge even when the metal contacts are touching…”

Article Type: Lawsuit
Topic: Consumer
Tags: Battery, Deceptive Advertising, Deceptive Labels, Item Does Not Do What It Is Advertised to Do