Apple Agrees to Pay $500 Million to iPhone Users for Slowing Down Older iPhones
Towards the end of 2017, iPhone users across the country filed class actions lawsuits against Apple for purposefully slowing down older phones, citing a withholding of information in order to increase sales for newer models. This was after users on Reddit started noticing correlations between software updates and decreased battery life and overall performance of certain iPhone models.
Shortly after, Apple came forward and admitted to this accusation. They insisted that the updates were created to smooth out peak power demands from the lithium-ion batteries used inside their phones. Nevertheless, Apple Inc. has now agreed to pay as much as $500 million to resolve the litigation.
The multidistrict litigation includes 66 class action complaints that cite Apple’s iOS software updates -- iOS 10.2.1 and 11.2 -- included code that negatively affected the performance of iPhones. It was found that Apple misrepresented the nature of the updates and failed to fully reveal the effects that the updates would have on their devices. All iPhone users who owned the 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus 7, and SE devices and updated their phones to iOS 10.2.1 and 11.2 are covered by the settlement and are entitled to financial compensation anywhere from $25 to up to $500.
The proposed settlement is currently awaiting preliminary approval from U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, as it was filed on February 28th, so information is subject to change at this time. According to the settlement, Apple will pay a minimum of $310 and a maximum of $500 million. The final amount will be determined by the number of people who filed valid claims.
It’s still entirely possible that Judge Davila will have concerns with the settlement, as it doesn’t include all iPhones. If this happens, the lawsuit will start over, but nevertheless Apple Inc. has shown that they are willing to financially compensate their consumers for the faulty updates.
Apple stated in 2017 that it will continue to use this feature, but will be more forthcoming about updates’ purposes and effects in the future.
"Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices," it said.
Poynter Law Group is a class action law firm that is dedicated to keeping the public informed and protected from large corporations such as Apple, who withhold information and take advantage of their consumers in order to increase profits. We will continue to monitor this case and keep our audience informed as it progresses. Please continue to connect with us on our blog and contact us if you have an issue that causes legal action. Get in touch with us by calling (501) 812-3943.