Apple’s (alleged) plan for forced obsolescence hasn’t worked out well for the company.
According to a settlement filed in a California court, Apple has agreed to pay $500 million for throttling older iPhone models. That money will go toward affected owners, who will be rewarded with $25 per device – give or take.
“Friday’s settlement covers U.S. owners of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus, or SE that ran the iOS 10.2.1 or later operating system. It also covers U.S. owners of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later before Dec. 21, 2017,” reported Reuters.
Apple insists that it didn’t do anything wrong and only agreed to settle to end what had already become years of legislation. (The first lawsuit was filed way back in 2017.)
At the onset of “Batterygate,” Apple explained that older iPhones had to be throttled in order to reduce stress on the battery and avoid sudden shutdowns. Consumers were convinced that it was just a clever way of encouraging them to buy newer, more expensive models, however.
As usual, the attorneys are the real winners here. “The lawyers plan to seek up to $93 million, equal to 30% of $310 million, in legal fees, plus up to $1.5 million for expenses,” said Reuters.