“Apple’s legal battle against accusations that it intentionally slows down older iPhones to incentivize customers to upgrade to newer models will likely take place in one courtroom near the company’s headquarters in California,” Joe Rossignol reports for MacRumors. “The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has disclosed that it will consider consolidating dozens of iPhone performance-related complaints filed against Apple during a hearing scheduled for Thursday, March 29 in Atlanta, Georgia, as is routine for similar cases filed across multiple states.”
“Apple currently faces 59 putative class actions across 16 district courts in the United States,” Rossignol reports. “Apple faces similar class action lawsuits in at least six other countries, including one filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada on Friday.”
“The lawsuits have been mounting since late December, when Apple revealed that it throttles the maximum performance of some older iPhone models with chemically aged batteries when necessary in order to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down,” Rossignol reports. “The so-called feature was introduced in iOS 10.2.1.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This whole escapade is proof that even the world’s most valuable company is capable of being incredibly obtuse.
SEE ALSO:
Getting a new iPhone battery is often a frustrating, weeks-long process – February 20, 2018
Apple tells U.S. Senate company may offer rebates for battery purchases amid iPhone blowback – February 6, 2018
Apple previews iOS 11.3 with new battery health features, ability to turn processor throttling on and off, and more – January 24, 2018
Tim Cook: ‘Maybe we should have been clearer’ over throttling iPhones with aging batteries – January 18, 2018
China consumer group seeks answers from Apple over batterygate – January 16, 2018
South Korean consumer group considering criminal case against Apple over iPhone batterygate – January 11, 2018
Republican Senator John Thune, Chair of the U.S. Commerce Committee, has some questions for Apple over throttling old iPhones – January 10, 2018
French prosecutor launches probe into Apple planned obsolescence – January 8, 2018
Apple’s design decisions and iPhone batteries – January 8, 2018
Apple now faces over two dozen lawsuits for ‘purposefully’ or ‘secretly’ slowing down older iPhones – January 5, 2018
Why aging batteries don’t slow down Android phones like Apple iPhones – January 5, 2018
Apple’s $29 replacement batteries expected to hurt new iPhone sales – January 4, 2018
How to see if Apple’s throttling your iPhone – January 4, 2018
Brazilian agency requires Apple to inform consumers on batteries – January 3, 2018
Analyst: Apple’s ‘batterygate’ solution may mean 16 million fewer iPhones sold this year – January 3, 2018
An Apple conspiracy theory blooms – January 2, 2018
Apple clarifies policy on $29 battery replacements: All iPhone 6 and later devices are eligible – January 2, 2018
Good luck!
Lawyers= License to Rob
This is stupid. I assume in the end, if they get anything, the lawyers will get most of the winnings, and the angry and incensed users who think they need to teach Apple a lesson that it will never forget will get enough money for a small latte (at the Easy Mart). On the plus side, I did get a reasonably priced new battery for my aging iPhone 6 out of this debacle and it certainly made it snappier.
Lol.
I for 1 do not believe that Apple slowed down the iPhone with Old batteries in order to force users to upgrade.
I think the slow down was done rather than telling users they need a new battery because a significant number of iPhone buyers also have Apple Care+ as is evident by the increasing amount of money services is making. So I believe the slow down rather that reporting we need a new battery is because Apple does not want to be replacing those batteries for free under Apple Care+.