Apple faces a $5.72 billion jury verdict after a federal jury in San Diego found that haptics technology used in certain iPhone and Apple Watch products infringed two patents owned by Taction Technology. The jury returned its verdict on September 25, 2026, awarding Taction $5,721,961,750 in damages. It found infringement but determined that Apple’s infringement was not willful. Apple strongly disagrees with the verdict and says it plans to appeal. The verdict involves one of Apple’s most commercially important product families, with the iPhone continuing to account for a major part of the company’s hardware business.
The dispute centers on Apple’s Taptic Engine, which generates the tactile feedback users feel when interacting with supported Apple devices. This type of touch-based feedback is known as haptics. On devices such as the Apple Watch, the Taptic Engine can generate different feedback patterns that work alongside visual or audible responses.
At trial, Taction accused Apple of infringing claims 17 and 19 of U.S. Patent No. 10,659,885 and claim 16 of U.S. Patent No. 10,820,117. The related patents cover technology involving damped electromagnetic motion used to produce tactile, low-frequency vibrations. The jury found all three asserted claims infringed, rejected Apple’s invalidity defenses and found that the infringement was not willful.
Both patents are related and concern systems designed to generate controlled vibrations that can be perceived through touch. The dispute does not mean Apple copied an entire Taptic Engine design from Taction; rather, the trial focused on whether specific technical features of Apple’s accused haptics technology fell within particular claims of Taction’s patents.
Apple disputed both the infringement finding and the size of the damages award. The company maintains that its Taptic Engine operates differently from Taction’s patented technology and says evidence presented at trial supported its position. Apple has confirmed that it intends to appeal. Taction, meanwhile, welcomed the verdict after a legal battle that began more than five years ago.
Taction filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2021. In August 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California granted Apple summary judgment of noninfringement, preventing the case from reaching a jury at that stage. However, on August 13, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated that decision and sent the case back for further proceedings after finding errors involving Taction’s expert evidence and the district court’s interpretation of the patent claims. Importantly, the appeals court did not itself find Apple liable for infringement; its ruling reopened the case for further proceedings that ultimately led to the 2026 trial. The patent dispute comes as Apple is also dealing with regulatory pressure in other parts of its business, including recent changes to its app-tracking consent system in Europe.
What Happens Next in the Apple–Taction Case?
The $5.72 billion verdict does not necessarily represent the final amount Apple will ultimately pay. As of September 26, 2026, the case docket did not yet show an entered final judgment. Apple can pursue post-trial challenges and, once the required court process is complete, its planned appeal. Those proceedings could leave the award unchanged, reduce it, alter other parts of the verdict or result in further proceedings.
