Earlier this year we learned that Apple had agreed to pay up to $500 million as part of a class action lawsuit related to its "batterygate" situation from 2017. Now it's time for anyone affected to get a piece of that settlement.
A new website has launched to inform consumers of their options if they're eligible to take part in Apple's class action settlement (via MacRumors). Apple will pay around $25 for each affected device, meaning the company will end up paying out between $310 million and $500 million for this settlement.
To be eligible to get a piece of that settlement, you must be a US resident who owns or owned an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, and/or iPhone SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later, or an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus that rant iOS 11.2 or later before December 21, 2017. You must also have experienced "diminished performance" on your device.
If you qualify, you can submit a claim form online or through the mail by October 6, 2020.
Those who qualify can also exclude themselves from the settlement if they want to be part of any other lawsuit against Apple related to the claims in this case.
The website also notes that Apple denies all of the allegations and is entering into this settlement to avoid "burdensome and costly litigation." "The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Apple," the notice on the site goes on to say.
The whole situation began in late 2017 when some owners of older phones like the iPhone 6s got higher benchmark scores after replacing their battery. Then a report came out that compared an iPhone 6s running iOS 10.2 and iOS 10.2.1, and it showed that the device running iOS 10.2.1 had lower benchmark scores after operating at a higher performance level before that update.
Apple then confirmed that it had released an update that was meant to smooth out instantaneous peaks on older devices to prevent them from shutting down unexpectedly due to the age of their batteries. That update was iOS 10.2.1 on the iPhone 6, 6s, and SE and iOS 11.2 for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Apple also offered $29 battery replacements for owners of older iPhone models with an aging battery.
Apple has since added a "Battery Health" feature to iOS that will tell you the maximum capacity of your iPhone's battery compared to when it was new and help you figure out when it's time to get a replacement battery. It'll also tell you if the performance management feature is being applied to your iPhone due to an unexpected shutdown and allow you to disable this performance management if you'd like.
