Apple has been sued for slowing down older models, and now the company must pay $65 to each owner of an older iPhone.
According to myphonews, Apple must pay hundreds of millions of dollars to owners of old iPhones. The cash is part of a lawsuit settlement in Apple’s “Batterygate” crisis in 2017.
Apple apologizes for slowing down older iPhone models. Apple’s iOS software throttles the performance of the devices to protect the device’s batteries from significant degradation. Still, Apple has admitted that it needed to communicate this better and will soon start making compensation payments.
A US court has now thrown out two final cases from iPhone owners who disputed the settlement, clearing the way for payments to eligible gadget fans. US users whose device performance was reduced are eligible if they have any of the following devices:
• iPhone SE (first generation)
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
They must have used one of those devices running iOS 10.2.1 or iOS 11.2 before December 21, 2017, to claim the money. The deadline to join the lawsuit passed in October 2020. Unfortunately, if someone has yet to register, there is no way to join the case and get compensation.
About three million people joined this lawsuit and can receive their share of the compensation. According to the lawyers, Apple is expected to pay between $310 million and $500 million in damages, amounting to about $65 per person.
With the iOS 10.2.1 update, Apple started reducing the performance of some old iPhone models. Users noticed the change and complained publicly, prompting Apple to acknowledge the difference.
“We’ve heard feedback from our customers about how iPhones with older batteries are performing and how to transition that process,” Apple explained. We understand that some of you feel that Apple has let you down. We apologize. “There are a lot of misunderstandings about this, so we want to explain and let you know about some of the changes we’re making.”
Apple reduced the battery replacement price to $29 and posted an apology on its website. The company also introduced a new Battery Health feature in iOS 11.3 that allows users to track the deterioration of their batteries. This feature also lets users see if their battery health affects their iPhone’s performance.
