Apple won a partial victory in a lawsuit over alleged defects in its first-generation AirPods Pro. On October 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Noel Wise in San Jose dismissed some claims in the case Lindsey LaBella et al v. Apple Inc., No. 5:24-cv-07588-NW, but allowed others to proceed. The lawsuit, filed by nine consumers from seven states, alleges that AirPods Pro models sold between 2019 and 2022 had defects that caused crackling, static, and background noise. Judge Wise dismissed claims that Apple made unfair profits and violated national consumer protection laws, but said customers could continue arguing that Apple failed to disclose known sound issues in the $249 earbuds.
Apple’s lawyers from Morrison & Foerster maintained that the company was not obligated to warn users about non-safety defects and noted that some customers received free replacements through Apple’s 2020 repair program. The plaintiffs’ attorneys described the ruling as a “partial win.” The court gave the plaintiffs 21 days to add more details about how Apple may have misled customers. If the case moves forward, Apple could be required to share internal documents about the AirPods’ design and testing.
