Apple Inc. AAPL has agreed to pay $14.4 million to settle the “Batterygate” class-action lawsuit in Canada. The lawsuit accused Apple of secretly slowing down iPhones as their batteries aged. Approved by a Canadian court, the settlement will see eligible iPhone users receive between CA$17.50 ($12.91) and CA$150 ($110.62) from Apple.
What Happened: The class-action lawsuit claimed that Apple had covertly slowed down iPhones as their batteries degraded. This performance throttling was introduced in 2017 to prevent unexpected iPhone shutdowns. However, Apple did not adequately communicate this change to its customers, reported 9to5Mac on Monday.
The settlement applies to all of Canada except for Quebec.
Apple is yet to respond to the queries sent by Benzinga.
The judge overseeing the case deemed the proposed settlement “fair, reasonable and in the best interest of the class,” according to class counsel Michael Peerless. The settlement website will soon provide further details on how to file a claim.
Eligible users include those who owned or purchased an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7, or 7 Plus with iOS 10.2.1 or later installed before December 21, 2017.
Why It Matters: This settlement comes amid ongoing concerns over Apple’s battery issues. Users had complained about the rapid deterioration of the iPhone 14’s battery health, sparking a potential “Batterygate Redux” ahead of the iPhone 15 launch.
However, in a more recent development, Apple announced that the battery life of its iPhone 15 series is significantly longer than initially projected. The company stated that the iPhone 15 could maintain 80% of its original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles, attributing the improved lifespan to ongoing updates to battery components and power management systems over the years.
Image Credits – Shutterstock
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Image source – Apple
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