Apple now lets customers stake claim in $500 mn iPhone slowdown settlement

iPhone users affected by Apple's ‘performance throttling’ can now claim their stake in the $500 million lawsuit payout.

Apple introduced a performance management feature in iOS 10.2 which actually slowed down older iPhones.

Apple was accused of ‘secretly' throttling older iPhone models for which a US class action lawsuit was filed in December 2017. Apple agreed to the lawsuit although it denied the allegations. iPhone users who may have been affected by this are now being notified of legal settlements that they can claim.

Eligible iPhone users who submit a claim will receive a cash payment of around $25 from Apple. This lawsuit covers only iPhone users in the US, and those who have/had an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE with iOS 10.2.1 or later. It also covers those with an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later before December 21, 2017

Apple introduced a performance management feature with these software updates. But it was discovered that the performance of these iPhones reduced quite drastically after the software updates. Apple later revealed it throttled older iPhones. It even offered battery replacements at a lower price for these affected iPhones. This lawsuit claim was first spotted by MacRumors. Apple has agreed to the lawsuit payment but it denied the allegations.

As explained in the lawsuit FAQ - “Apple denies all allegations and is entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Apple.”

These iPhone users can submit a claim or choose to refrain from this lawsuit if they wish to sue Apple individually. The deadline for submitting these claims is October 6, 2020. The lawsuit requires Apple to make a total payment of up to $500 million.