[imagesource:flickr]

Apple is set to start paying millions of US owners of certain older iPhone models roughly $65 (R1 200) each as part of a US settlement.

The lawsuit was filed over alleged degraded battery life and performance throttling. The suit was almost spoiled for everyone after two old iPhone owners objected to the company’s settlement offer, but fortunately Apple’s platoon of legal minds nipped that greediness in the bud.

In 2020, Apple already agreed to pay $310–$500 million (R5.88–R9.48 billion) as part of a settlement in a class-action lawsuit concerning issues with several iPhone models released between 2014 and 2016.

Shortly after installing new iOS versions for these phones, numerous consumers complained about unexpected shutdowns when their phones still had over 30% battery remaining.

The lawsuit alleged that the shutdowns resulted from a mismatch between the iPhones’ hardware and the need to constantly receive iOS updates. It also said although Apple tried to patch the problem, this supposedly only throttled performance and reduced the frequency of shutdowns.

Apple has meanwhile maintained that the issues related to natural degradation in lithium-ion battery life and that updated software came with trade-offs.

“Providing more features also introduces complexity and can reduce speed, and increasing features or speed may adversely impact hardware lifespan.”

With a likely massive amount of dosh available for these kinds of issues, Apple nonetheless settled the suit, and agreed to pay $113 million (R2.14 billion) to users in California and two of its counties. In total, 3 million claims were made against the company.

The iPhone models that qualify for the reimbursement are the following:

• iPhone SE (2016)
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus

At present, the refunds only apply to the United States, but if there are plans to open the refund to other countries, we’ll let you know. Luckily, zero issues have been reported with recent models, so the apple remains fresh.

Apple products have always been the frontrunners when it comes to cell phone development, and if you want to join the Apple family, head over to Digicape, South Africa’s largest independent Apple retailer.

Digicape offers trade-in options as well, which makes it easier and more affordable than ever to upgrade or get some tech-cred with your peeps.

[source:digicape&mybroadband]