Apple Agrees to Pay iPhone Users $500 million in Settlement Agreement

Courtesy+of+Business+Line

Courtesy of Business Line

By AviYonce Scott, Assistant Technology Editor

Originally published March 6, 2020.

 

iPhone users might be entitled to a settlement check from Apple for slowing down devices.

According to court documents released on Feb. 28, Apple will pay its users up to half a billion dollars to settle a class action lawsuit that accused Big Four tech giant of slowing down older iPhone models to get users to buy newer models.

 

The proposed settlement requires Apple to pay the owners of some iPhone models $25 for each defective device, ranging from a minimum of $310 million and a maximum of $500 million, according to documents released in US District Court in San Jose, California.

 

The amount each user receives depends on how many claims are filed as well as any legal fees approved by the court. The settlement amount could increase to $500 million if more users file claims or decrease if there are less claims. If the settlement amount begins to exceed $500 million, users are likely to receive less than $25 per device.

 

The settlement agreement, which will receive final approval by the court on April 3, ends a two year legal battle. In Dec. 2017, Apple admitted they used iOS updates to slow down older iPhones. Soon after the news broke, outraged customers and tech gurus suspected foul play and that Apple manipulated older devices to force users to upgrade to the latest iPhone model. However, the tech giant said they intended to address issues with older lithium-ion batteries that would make the phones suddenly shut down without warning.

 

Soon after, Apple apologized and offered battery replacements to their customers for $79, and then $29 in January 2018.

 

iPhone users in the United States can file claims if they owned an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus, or SE device purchased before Dec. 2017.