Apple ordered to pay $5.7bn after losing vibration tech patent suit
Written by laserteam on September 28, 2026
(BBC) – Apple has been ordered to pay $5.7bn (£4.3bn) in damages after a US jury found it had used another firm’s tech without permission.
Audio firm Taction Technology claimed in 2021 that Apple had infringed two of its patents for haptics systems, which enable vibrations for actions such as receiving a message or pressing a button.
This tech is built into devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch.
Apple said it had not used Taction’s vibration tech and would appeal the verdict.
“While we thank the jury for their consideration, we strongly disagree with today’s verdict and the damages awarded, which are entirely unsupported by the facts,” it said.
“Apple’s Taptic Engine is fundamentally different from Taction’s technology, which Taction’s own testing of Apple’s products confirmed during trial.”
Haptics allow people to interact with devices by simulating the sense of touch or feel through vibrations.
They have become a hallmark of modern devices, with smartphones, watches and video game controllers among those containing small motors that move in response to specific electronic signals.
