Apple Settles For $500 Million For Slowing Down Old iPhones

Apple has admitted that they purposely slow down previous versions of their iPhones. The technology giant spoke out in court about throttling the phones down in order to preserve battery life. The case has led the company to settle in paying out $500 million to owners and attorneys.

This settlement was filed in a California court last Friday, covering anyone who bought an Apple product in the 6 or 7 families. The whole ordeal started with multiple class-action lawsuits that eventually consolidated into one. It took months to negotiate and is now waiting for final approval. Apple will be paying every former or current owner of a covered product $25 – though the amount is subject to change.

The minimum payout has been settled at $310 million. Each owner could be getting more than $25 if only a few claim that money. On the other hand, if the amount exceeds the $500 million top, they could get less. Don’t forget to check if you can apply for payment. This could be your lucky break.

All this comes from the ‘Batterygate’ controversy that took place in 2017. iPhone users discovered that iOS was willfully slowing down processors. iPhones were programmed this way in order to reduce stress on the battery.

Apple had since been stealthy about the issue, until now. The company has also offered discounts for battery replacements. Remember: the settlement covers all iPhones 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus and SE models that ran iOS 11.2 or later before December 21st, 2017.