Apple to Pay $500 Million
Settlement Over Slowed iPhones After months of negotiations, Apple has tentatively
agreed to a $500 million settlement to resolve dozens
of class action lawsuits against the company. If approved on April 3, all current
and former owners of products
in the iPhone 6 and 7 lineup will
be eligible to receive $25. The payout per iPhone owner could fluctuate in either
direction, depending on how many people file claims. Named class members will
receive $1,500 or $3,500,
and attorneys will receive
around $90 million. The lawsuits, filed between 2017 and 2018 and
later consolidated into one complaint, alleged that
Apple purposefully throttled older iPhones. Referred to as “Batterygate,” Apple later
admitted to using iOS to artificially limit
processor speeds on older iPhone batteries. The feature was intended to reduce stress
on the battery and prevent accidental shutdowns. However, Apple failed to disclose the feature’s
existence to customers, causing many people to
purchase new iPhones, as they thought their older
ones were simply slowing down from age.