Apple announced that the company has agreed to pay 113 million US dollars to settle the lawsuit, accusing the company of secretly restraining or slowing down the performance of the old model iPhone.
This dispute is called the “battery door.” When reports about Apple slowing down the performance of older iPhone models were first released, the company denied it. Later, the company stated that it did so to extend battery life.
This is seen as the company’s efforts to push users to buy new iPhones. About 34 states in the United States (including Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana and the District of Columbia) have launched investigations.
Now, the matter has been resolved by Apple, agreeing to pay a fine of US$113 million and legal commitments in order to be more transparent in the future. However, like many such settlements, Apple does not admit to breaking any law or any other wrongdoing.
Apple slowed down the performance of the old iPhone, which is considered deceptive because the company has never disclosed such information.
Due to the reduced performance, many users believe that the only option is to upgrade to a newer model, which brings millions of dollars in revenue to Apple. Soon after the throttling problem occurred, Apple apologized and launched a battery replacement program.
As part of this plan, it provides batteries for old devices at a price of $29 and adds new battery management features to iOS.
Earlier this year, Apple agreed to settle a class action lawsuit in the same case for $500 million. This means that users of iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus and SE running iOS 10.2.1 or later will receive a compensation of $25.
