Apple Faces Another iPhone 'Batterygate' Court Action, this Time in the UK

The complainant claimed that Apple failed to notify customers in advance that it would slow iPhones.

In order to stop older iPhones with deteriorating batteries from shutting down unexpectedly, Apple acknowledged that it had updated certain devices back in 2017. Five years have passed since that time, but Apple is still coping with the fallout. According to The Guardian, a consumer rights advocate named Justin Gutmann has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant at the UK's Competition Appeals Tribunal. Gutmann claimed that Apple intentionally throttled consumers' phones without telling them beforehand and that the corporation didn't provide them the chance to turn off the setting. The iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X devices are all included in the complaint. Remember that the company first issued the update that purposefully slows down devices for the iPhone 6, 6s, and SE before extending the feature's availability to new devices. According to Guttman's complaint, Apple added the slowing feature to cover up the fact that out-of-date batteries couldn't handle new OS updates. Apple misled individuals by hiding a tool in software updates that slowed their smartphones by up to 58 %, Guttman claimed, "instead of doing the honorable and lawful thing by their customers and offering a free replacement, repair service, or compensation." If Guttman prevails, Apple would be forced to reimburse more than 25 million UK customers who bought the harmed phones for up to £750 million in damages. The business was previously hit with a €10 million fine in Italy for failing to give consumers the knowledge they needed for battery maintenance and replacement. Additionally, it consented to pay up to $500 million to resolve one of the US lawsuits it was involved in to the iPhone delay in 2020. Each participant in the settlement received up to $25. Apple provided the following statement to The Guardian: "We have never—and will never—do anything to purposefully reduce the lifespan of any Apple product or harm the user experience in an effort to encourage customers to upgrade. Making iPhones endure as long as feasible is a key component of our ongoing effort to produce goods that people enjoy."