iPhone XR Owners Sue Apple for Signal Connection Failure

Class-action lawsuit seeks to represent all Apple iPhone XR users against tech giant

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Owners of iPhone XR smartphones hit Apple Inc. with a class-action lawsuit today, accusing the tech giant of knowingly selling the iPhone XR with a defect causing connectivity issues, dropped calls and signal failures, according to attorneys at Hagens Berman.

iPhone XR owners report inability to hear caller’s voices, difficulty sending and receiving text messages, inoperable data connections and other issues affecting the usability of their mobile devices.

If you own an iPhone XR, find out more about the lawsuit and your rights against Apple.

According to the lawsuit filed Apr. 6, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple was aware of the iPhone XR defect that has led to connectivity issues based on pre-release design, testing, warranty claims data and consumer complaints made directly to Apple, but has chosen to ignore the reported issues, and failed to inform the public.

“We have heard from hundreds of iPhone XR owners across the country who can attest that despite their carrier, they experience loss of connectivity, reliability and performance in phones that they paid hundreds of dollars for,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney representing consumers in the class action. “So far, Apple – which is one of the most valuable companies in the world – refuses to take responsibility, ignoring its own customers’ complaints in its official message boards.”

“Instead, Apple chooses to conceal this information, allowing more purchasers to spend their honest dollars on an iPhone that will not perform as expected,” Berman added.

Hagens Berman has taken on Apple in class-action cases in the past. The law firm won a suit against Apple and various publishing companies in 2016 that settled for a total $560 million on behalf of purchasers of e-books who had been forced to pay artificially high prices due to Apple and the publishing companies' price-fixing. That case went to the Supreme Court.

The lawsuit against Apple seeks compensation for the connection and signal issues faced by consumers. Currently, Apple’s only response to complaints under warranty is to replace the iPhone XR with another identically defective iPhone XR, according to attorneys. This only leaves consumers in a cycle of use, malfunction and replacement.

The iPhone XR Defect

The lawsuit states that the iPhone XR is equipped with a 2x2 MIMO antenna array versus the 4x4 MIMO array Apple uses in its iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Apple’s competitors also use the 4x4 MMO on their phones priced comparably to the iPhone XR.

“Apple has violated these duties by designing, manufacturing and selling their iPhone XR,” the complaint states. “Apple fails to advertise or otherwise inform consumers that this design difference causes the iPhone XR to have half the signal connectivity and 4G speed of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max and renders the XR far less capable of obtaining a reliable connection in the same areas where the XS and Max can reliable connect.”

According to attorneys, Apple’s One-Year Limited Warranty states that Apple “warrants the included hardware product and accessories against defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of original retail purchase.” The 2x2 MIMO antenna array in the iPhone XR, all of which share identical connectivity technology, are defective in material or workmanship under normal use, the suit states.

Find out more about the class-action lawsuit against Apple.

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About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with nine offices across the country. The firm’s tenacious drive for plaintiffs’ rights has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” and MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

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