Apple has started compensating iPhone users who claimed that the company deliberately slowed down certain of their devices, the BBC reports.
In 2017, a number of iPhone users in the United States started to observe a decrease in their device’s performance following the installation of the most recent software updates, iOS 10.2.1 and 11.2.0.
In that same year, Apple confirmed the suspicions of many iPhone owners by revealing it does deliberately slow down some models of the iPhone as they age.
The company said it does slow down some models as they age, but only because the phones’ battery performance diminishes over time, as reported by the BBC in 2017.
Because of the processes involved in the charging and discharging cycle, lithium batteries, used by iPhones, deteriorate with time.
Those who have filed complaints — around three million people — will be entitled to a portion of a $500 million (£394 million) settlement, which amounts to approximately $92 per claim.
According to the BBC, Apple previously called the lawsuit “baseless” and said, “We have never – and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.”
Apple also emphasised their commitment to extending the lifespan of its customers’ devices instead of pushing them to purchase new phones.
However, the lawsuit alleged that the company had been intentionally slowing down phone performance without informing customers.
Apple reached a settlement in 2020, asserting that it had no involvement in any wrongdoing but was mindful of the expenses associated with ongoing legal proceedings.
According to LAdBible, some of the complainants have posted on social media that they’ve received a payment of $92.17.
This is coming as UK owners await developments in a similar case against Apple that was given the go-ahead in November last year, Sky News reports.
The UK case was initiated by consumer advocate Justin Gutmann.
Gutmann asserts that the tech giant misled around 25 million customers by secretly slowing down their devices.
