AAPL Apple Inc

By Tripp Mickle 

Apple Inc. sought to head off customer complaints about defective keyboards on its latest MacBook models, saying it will offer free repairs for qualifying devices in the latest overture to users concerned about the performance of one of the company's signature products.

The company on Friday said it would replace the keyboard or keys on some MacBook and MacBook Pro models released since 2015 if those devices had letters or characters that didn't appear when pressed, felt sticky or didn't respond consistently to typing. Prior to the offer, Apple was quoting customers with out-of-warranty keyboards a cost of $300 to $475, according to the company.

The repair is the latest offer Apple has made in response to customer complaints over the past year. In December, it slashed the cost of an iPhone battery replacement in response to customer outcry over a software feature that throttled the performance of its older model smartphones.

At least three lawsuits have been filed in recent months against Apple over the keyboards. One of those suits, which was filed in the Northern District of California, argues that Apple committed fraud because it knew the MacBook keyboards were defective but failed to disclose the issues and continued to promote the Mac.

Apple didn't immediately respond to request for comment on the lawsuit. It said in a statement Friday that the repairs cover the "small percentage of keyboards" that have exhibited problems.

The MacBook issues can be traced back to 2015 when Apple introduced a new keyboard system with a "butterfly mechanism" that it said was 40% thinner and more responsive. The butterfly system, which has been used in MacBook updates since then, uses V-shaped underpinnings rather than an X-shaped scissor connection, a change Apple says allows it to bounce back "with a crisp motion that you'll appreciate the moment you start typing."

However, customers have complained that dust and debris, such as crumbs of food, cause the keyboards to stop working on devices with starting prices ranging from $1,299 to $2,399.

Carolina Milanesi, a technology analyst with Creative Strategies, praised Apple's offer of free repairs but said it should have been done sooner. "In cases like this where it's obvious there's a problem, sooner is always better," she said, "especially when you think that people who have Macs are deeply engaged in the Apple ecosystem."

Write to Tripp Mickle at Tripp.Mickle@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 22, 2018 20:23 ET (00:23 GMT)

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