Apple hit with record $5.7 billion verdict over Taptic Engine patents
A US jury has ordered Apple to pay $5.7 billion to California-based Taction Technology for infringing patents tied to the Taptic Engine — the haptic module inside every iPhone and Apple Watch. It is the largest patent infringement verdict ever recorded in the United States. Apple says it will appeal.
The technology at stake
The Taptic Engine replaced the traditional spinning vibration motor, first appearing in Apple Watch in 2014 and then in the iPhone 6s in 2015. It delivers precise, physical feedback for notifications, button presses, and interactions — a feature Apple has since expanded, including iOS 18 brings a new haptic music experience feature that is based on Taptic Engine technology. Taction's two patents (Nos. 10,659,885 and 10,820,117) cover vibration-based tactile transducers designed to transmit vibrations directly through the skin. Taction filed suit in 2021, arguing Apple built its success on those patented ideas.
The case had a turbulent path to verdict. A San Diego judge dismissed it in 2023, but the Federal Circuit revived it in August 2025. The jury found Apple infringed the patents — but ruled the infringement was not willful. That distinction matters: willful infringement can trigger triple damages, so the finding caps Apple's exposure at $5.7 billion rather than pushing it higher. Bloomberg Law reports the case was backed by litigation funder Burford Capital.
Apple's response and what comes next
Apple flatly rejected the verdict. A company spokesperson called the damages figure groundless and said Taction's own tests during the trial demonstrated that the Taptic Engine works differently from what the patents describe. Apple has signalled it will take the case to the Federal Circuit.
That appeal gives the company a realistic path to a reduced award or outright reversal. The precedent is relevant: Intel was hit with a $2.18 billion patent verdict in 2021, only for it to be overturned in December 2023. As CNBC reports, large verdicts in patent cases regularly shrink or disappear on appeal.
For consumers, nothing changes immediately — iPhones and Apple Watches remain on sale and the Taptic Engine is going nowhere. Apple has even been quietly improving the hardware; the company Apple patents new shockproof Taptic Engine, suggesting continued investment in the technology regardless of litigation. The $5.7 billion figure is eye-catching, but the real number that matters will emerge after years of appellate review.
