A federal jury has ordered Apple to pay more than $5.7 billion to Taction Technology in a patent case involving the Taptic Engine used in iPhones and Apple Watches. Engadget reports that jurors found Apple unintentionally infringed two of Taction's haptics patents.
Apple disagrees with the verdict and the size of the award and plans to appeal, according to Bloomberg Law's account cited by Engadget. That means the damages are not final and could change as the case moves through post-trial motions and an appeal.
A case revived on appeal
Taction, a San Diego company that makes audio and gaming peripherals with haptic feedback, filed the lawsuit in 2021. Its allegations concern technology behind the Taptic Engine, the component that produces precise vibration feedback in Apple devices.
A federal judge in San Diego dismissed the lawsuit in 2023. The case returned after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit revisited the lower court's handling of Taction's infringement arguments. The Federal Circuit opinion, filed in August 2025, sent the dispute back for further proceedings, clearing the way for the jury trial that produced Friday's verdict.
The verdict is another step, not the finish
The jury's finding was for unintentional infringement, according to Engadget. The distinction matters because the current award is a jury verdict rather than a final resolution of every legal challenge in the case.
Apple has faced other disputes over haptic and wearable technology. It previously settled a haptics case brought by Immersion for an undisclosed amount. In a separate Apple Watch patent dispute, another federal jury awarded Masimo $634 million, a decision Apple also planned to appeal. Those cases involve different patents and do not determine the outcome of Taction's claims.
