The first-generation AirPods Pro have been hounding Apple ever since their launch back in 2019, which quickly gave way to persistent crackling or static complaints, prompting a lawsuit in November 2024.
Now, however, Apple seems to have secured a partial victory of sorts by managing to have the scope of the lawsuit severely restricted.
Apple only needs to defend itself against the fraud by omission claim in the AirPods Pro crackling lawsuit
Before going further, let's recap what has happened in this lawsuit so far:
- The lawsuit, formally called Lindsey LaBella et al v. Apple Inc., was filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, back in November 2024 by 9 consumers from 7 states.
- The case argued that the AirPods Pro units that Apple sold between 2019 and 2022 had an engineering defect, resulting in persistent crackling or static noise.
- Apple issued a software update to try to fix the issue in May 2020, and then launched a repair program in October 2020 to definitively address these complaints.
- The plaintiffs have maintained that either they would have eschewed purchasing the AirPods Pro, or would have done so only at a steep discount had Apple disclosed this fault upfront.
- Apple filed a motion in March 2025 to have the lawsuit thrown out, but failed.
Now, Judge Noël Wise has handed a partial victory to Apple by throwing out the following claims within the lawsuit:
- Nationwide claims due to various lacunae
- Express warranty claims (state)
- Implied warranty claims (state)
In addition, the plaintiffs have also been denied their request for an injunctive relief, one that would have compelled Apple to "repair, recall, and/or replace the AirPods Pro and to extend the applicable warranties to a reasonable period of time..."
Critically, Apple must defend itself only against state claims of fraud by omission, where the plaintiffs allege that Apple had a "duty to disclose safety issues" apropos the AirPods Pro.
Do note that in some states, warranty-related claims can still be amended and refiled by the plaintiffs within 21 days. Moreover, in order to move to the discovery stage, the plaintiffs will have to show that Apple knew about the defective AirPods Pro and deliberately suppressed pertinent information regarding the crackling issue.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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