iPhone is one of the most popular phone brands available in the market. However, there have been speculations for a few years about it deliberately making customers buy new phones by slowing down older models. Recent facts have come to light and Apple had to deal with a massive lawsuit due to it.
Here is a quick rundown on what you need to know about it.
The Theory
A few years ago, many people noticed that each time the brand would release a new iPhone, their older models would slow down. It would usually occur because the users will have to update their software, and often it is unavoidable, so they would have no choice but to update it. However, the battery performance became terrible and the overall performance of their phone got slower each time that they did so. The theory is that this is a money-grabbing tactic Apple created so they would force users to buy the latest model.
Apple then explained that they want their customers to get the best experience possible. They stated they focus on prolonging the life of their products and enhancing overall performance. They also said that the iPhones have lithium-ion batteries that supply less power while they age, especially when in cold conditions.
While people would need to get their phones repaired naturally over time, such as getting screen repair in your area, the sudden slowdown in performance whenever a new iPhone would be released caused a lot of suspicion in the Apple community.
So Apple stated that old batteries will come with issues, especially the most common problem, which is the phone suddenly shutting off. Apple added software that would slow down the phone’s performance if it noticed that the battery was aging. That would help increase the lifespan of the phone, and many people got a new battery to get better performance.
The Lawsuit
Despite Apple trying to state that they were only trying to enhance their user’s experience, they were still smacked with a hefty lawsuit and fine.Back in 2017, the company admitted that people’s phones get slower, which gave people enough grounds for a lawsuit. While they tried to combat this issue beforehand by offering discounted battery replacement, the users were still not happy that they had to keep paying money for their phones. So Apple trying to ease the massive backlash that they were getting from the internet did not work out.
Apple agreed to pay as much as $500 million so they can settle the class action lawsuit regarding their phones. Qualified iPhone users are promised to get $25, however, that amount can be changed depending on the claims that would get filed. However, note that $500 million is the maximum amount that they will have to pay. The minimum amount that Apple should pay is $310 million. However, the settlement only covers certain models, and a federal judge still has to approve the settlement.
While Apple is a trillion-dollar company, this lawsuit will be a big blow for the company. Hopefully, this situation will help them figure out how to provide better products in the future.
