A month before the highly anticipated Apple event in September, the company is poised to initiate the settlement of $500 million in lawsuit payments pertaining to the ‘BatteryGate’ case.
iPhone users whose older devices experienced slowdowns after software updates may soon get a payday from Apple. The tech giant has agreed to pay out a substantial sum, estimated between $310 million and $500 million, to approximately 3 million customers who own pre-2018 models of iPhones. This payout is a result of claims filed against Apple in 2020 over the widely discussed “batterygate” problem.
In a statement, lawyers representing Apple customers have announced that a long-awaited resolution has been reached. Mark C. Molumphy, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, one of the law firms handling the case, revealed that the settlement would provide swift financial relief to impacted Apple users.
This settlement comes in the aftermath of Apple’s unsuccessful attempt to appeal a class-action lawsuit initiated against the company in 2017. As a result, the path has been cleared for individuals affected by the “software throttling issue” to receive compensation. “Software throttling” refers to the practice of intentionally reducing the performance of older iPhone models with degraded batteries, preventing them from shutting down during periods of high demand.
According to reports, Apple has maintained that its motive behind implementing performance reduction, or throttling, was not to coerce customers into unnecessary upgrades. Instead, it aimed to extend the lifespan of devices by preventing unexpected shutdowns. The normal performance levels would be reinstated once the aging battery was replaced.
Here’s what you need to know about the settlement:
However, according to legal sources, Apple is not admitting any wrongdoing despite the settlement.
Apple lawsuit: How much will affected customers get?
Individuals who submitted claims should expect to receive approximately $65 from Apple. Mark C. Molumphy explained that this sum could potentially be higher, ranging from $85 to $90, based on the volume of claims submitted. A lower number of claims typically leads to larger payouts per claimant.
Around 3.3 million iPhone users filed claims before the stipulated deadline. As a result, each of these claimants might receive $128, subject to any deductions mandated by the court for attorney’s fees and other related costs.
Apple lawsuit: Who will receive the payment?
Owners of specific iPhone models, including 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, and SE, running iOS 10.2.1 or later, and iPhone 7 and 7 Plus running iOS 11.2 or later before December 21, 2017, are potentially eligible for compensation. However, only users who filed claims before the October 6, 2020 deadline may qualify for payments.
Apple lawsuit: When will they receive the money?
The exact timeline for disbursing settlement payments to eligible users remains uncertain. Neither Apple nor the lawyers representing the customers have provided immediate responses to queries regarding this matter.
It’s worth noting that class-action lawsuits typically take a span of two to three years for resolution, with the possibility of extending further due to appeals. The batterygate class-action lawsuit has been subject to prolonged legal procedures and an appeals process, contributing to the delay in distributing compensation to claimants.
