Apple Faces a £750m Lawsuit for Throttling iPhones and You Could Get Some of It
Apple’s software update that throttled the speed of older iPhones in 2017 is landing the company in yet another lawsuit. Justin Gutmann, a consumer champion, has filed a UK lawsuit against Apple that, if successful, will force Apple to cough up over £750 million for affected customers.
Sign up forfree
Forgot your password?
Create an account
*Required: 8 chars, 1 capital letter, 1 number
By continuing, you agree to thePrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use.You also agree to receive our newsletters, you can opt-out any time.
Apple Could Get Sued for Slowing Down Old iPhone Models
Apple is being sued in the UK for slowing down old iPhone models through a software update released in 2017. Justin Gutmann filed the legal claim with UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition Appeal Tribunal. The lawsuit will cost Apple £768 million if successful, and will be distributed among up to 25 million iPhone users in the UK.
ViaSky News, Mr Gutmann said:
Instead of doing the honorable and legal thing by their customers and offering a free replacement, repair service, or compensation, Apple instead misled people by concealing a tool in software updates that slowed their devices by up to 58%.
A Reddit user made the discovery in 2017, but iPhone users have often speculated their iPhone got slower as time passed. Apple admitted to slowing down CPU performance, which the company touted as a move to prevent old devices with worn-out batteries from unexpectedly shutting down.
Critics had a different opinion, arguing that it was a way to nudge users to upgrade to the latest models, a tactic referred to asplanned obsolescence. This lawsuit for throttling performance is not a first for Apple.Apple has been sued for throttling iPhones in Italyand the US. For those two cases, the company agreed to pay $113 million and $500 million, respectively, to settle.
What iPhone Models Are Included in This Lawsuit?
Whether you stand to receive any compensation depends on whether you owned specific iPhone models at any point after September 12, 2016. The lawsuit covers several iPhone models, including:
The other requirement is that you need to be a UK resident.
Since this is an opt-out claim, you don’t need to do anything to join the case to be eligible for potential compensation. The lawsuit is still in the nascent stages as of writing, so stay alert for further updates.
Apple’s Throttling Saga Continues
Apple has already paid over $600 million in damages due to its CPU throttling update, but the UK lawsuit is seeking much more than the two previous lawsuits combined (it equates to about $945 million). Lawsuits against big tech companies are becoming more common, which signals that consumers want these firms to take more responsibility for their actions. So it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
A $2 billion class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple in the UK over App Store fees and commissions for developers.
Flagship price, mid-range phone.
I gripped my chair the entire time—and then kept thinking about it when the screen turned off.
you may’t call this offline, Notion.
These films will leave you questioning humanity, but also wanting more.
Lose your laptop without this feature, and you’ll wish you had turned it on.
