Judge dismisses iPhone water resistance lawsuit

Source: Daniel Bader / iMore

A judge in Manhattan has dismissed claims that Apple mislead consumers regarding the water-resistance of the iPhone.

From Reuters:

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing Apple Inc (AAPL.O) of misleading consumers about how resistant its iPhones are to water exposure.

Apple’s advertisements had made various claims about the iPhone’s resistance to damage when submerged or otherwise exposed to water, including that some models could survive depths of 4 meters (13.1 feet) for 30 minutes.

Plaintiffs claimed that Apple’s assertion was “false and misleading” and meant that Apple could charge more than twice the price of the average smartphone. While the judge stated that the plaintiffs “plausibly alleged that Apple’s ads could mislead consumers” they failed to show that their phones were damaged were liquid contact that Apple had promised they could stand. The judge also found no proof of fraud and said there was a lack of evidence that Apple had willfully overstated its water-resistance claims.

Many of Apple’s most-recent best iPhones including the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 offer strong water resistance, and Apple routinely markets its devices as child or toddler-proof as one of its strongest suits.

The company is expected to unveil a new 5G iPhone SE in the spring of 2022 to replace its popular lowered-priced iPhone SE.