Apple Hit With Class Action Lawsuit for iPhone 5 Wi-Fi Defect That Caused Data Overages

[thermodynamic]

Are users holding this iphone 5 model wrong, too? (The iphone 4 had the CEO notified by an engineer of the problem and the CEO chose to ignore it, instead blaming users for holding the phone wrong when it came out. Despicable behavior, for which no small business would survive if they pulled that uncivilized, unevolved crap.)

If the lawsuit is real, what the blank is Apple doing playing these sickening games of hiding wrongdoing time and again? Did they ever go to Ethics class in college? Or via whatever religions they pretend to ascribe to? (Though I know more atheists and agnostics that are far more ethical and moral than a number of Christians, et al, unfortunately...)

cpu going to sleep when gpu does video decompression and phone switches to LTE even when on wi fi gate

Watergate was the name of a hotel a politician got caught in. How "gate" became glued onto every pop culture tabloid media trash article... but I like how you pointed out the sheer absurdity of the tabloidization of the industry and country...

 

[Altis]

Some suggestions, you may have done some or all of these already:
Disable background app refresh
Disable wifi assist
Disable location services on apps that don't need to have it on (this will save battery as well)
Turn off system services (examples: location based iads, setting time zone etc) in location services, they don't need to be on.
Review your iCloud settings.

Thanks for the recommendations. I already have pretty much everything off.

I theorize that iOS 8 had 'wifi assist' built in but no method of disabling it (like we have now). I say this because several times, while on wifi, I would get "Could not activate cellular network" while loading data.

It hasn't been as much of a problem since having disabling that feature.

 

[peterdevries]

It's not about money. It's about the arrogance of Apple!

That is not a basis for a lawsuit.

 

[maxsix]

Nothing about this matters.

If we want a working iPhone we're captive Apple customers. It's extremely difficult for Giants like Apple to truly understand its impact on individual customers.

Then factor in all the yes-men / yes-women that immediately side with Apple without thinking, and its a done deal.

I don't believe Apple did this on purpose.

Yet if they were the warm and fuzzy, caring company they portray, it wouldn't have gone this far.

 

[C DM]

When I heard about my data downloading from 3G when I wasn't within WIFI, I searched for how to rectify it. Wasn't hard.

So what exactly rectified this issue related to iPhone 5 (back from iOS 6/7/8 days)?

Why do people even bother with these? Usually the losses are a trivial amount in the first place, and the damages recovered are usually even more trivial, and the only people who really benefit big time are the lawyers.

I bet there's more than an eager few to get their check in the mail for $2.32 while the law firm rakes in millions!!!!

The bigger hopeful impact is that whatever settlement there is basically teaches AT&T and/or Apple and/or companies in general to try not to sweep things under the rug or ignore them as they will still end up costing them, as perhaps more than if they actually faced them and dealt with them in a timely manner.

 

[diddl14]

According to the article it is a bug and not WIFI -Assist. That's why they said a fix was supposed to be released. Only the fix wasn't released.

I responded to the commenter who described an issue with an iPhone 6. The article is about iPhone 5, not 6. What the commenter described sounds to me like WIFI-Assist and not this old bug..

 

[Pauly601]

What about Australia?? I have an iPhone 5 and when I'm near my airport time capsule it uses 4G. Apple problem or my phone problem? I've had it for 3 Years

 

[26139]

I get it, but wow do a lot of people watch a lot of video on small screens.

 

[26139]

Seriously?! Only in America. I'm not responsible, I'm too dumb to find out how to change something and everything is 'your' fault.

Maybe, if there was a setting on the phone or something. But the CPU sleeping and WiFi turning off without user intervention is crappy.

 

[HEK]

Another great reason I've been switching off cellular when I am at home on my secure wifi network now that wifi calling is active. Data usage is way down on 6s Plus. Maybe this explains part of reason for that. Also that I now use safari with content blocking. Way faster, and less data when you don't load 11 trackers along with ads for every page. Now it's habit turning cellular off at home.

1. Stronger signal, five dot on wifi calling instead of one or two dot with LTE at home.

2. Faster downloads. On home wifi, 120Mbps

3. Secure. I have read too much about using public wifi, being hacked, piggy backed. Besides my LTE data is usually faster than Starbucks, or McDonalds. I never use exfinity guest wifi. Nore do I supply it to others as I use my own modem.

4. Less chance employer snooping when I keep my private communications and Internet use off the company servers. Use LTE at work

5. Turned off wifi assist.

6. Turned off most system services.

7. Turned off most app notifications in background.

 

[kendallb]

Happens on my 5S all the time. AT&T.

Not sure if you guys know about the daft WiFi Assist feature in iOS 9 but if you have issues like this it could well be this new 'feature'. I made sure everybody in my company turned it off, as it will automatically use mobile data even if you are on WiFi if the throughput is not very strong (like being in the back yard doing yard work).

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT205296

 

[C DM]

Not sure if you guys know about the daft WiFi Assist feature in iOS 9 but if you have issues like this it could well be this new 'feature'. I made sure everybody in my company turned it off, as it will automatically use mobile data even if you are on WiFi if the throughput is not very strong (like being in the back yard doing yard work).

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT205296

Might potentially be applicable to some currently, but wouldn't really apply to those affected by what the article describes as all of that happened before iOS 9 (and WiFi Assist only became available in iOS 9).

Also the feature doesn't "use mobile data even if you are on WiFi" as it actually changes to the mobile connection to use it (and you are no longer on WiFi)--basically it doesn't wait for WiFi to be completely non-functional before it switches but switches a little earlier if/when WiFi is bad and doesn't really provide a useful connection anymore.

 

[Tbone999]

When I heard about my data downloading from 3G when I wasn't within WIFI, I searched for how to rectify it. Wasn't hard.

You're making an assumption here -- that this is the same problem. It doesn't seem to be the same problem -- this is about data downloads on 3G and 4G when the users WERE within wifi. I've investigated this myself, and I'm very savvy. The only way to prevent it is to turn the phone off. I'd say that's a bug, and it has cost people lots of money in data overages. I don't see why you find it so reprehensible that people are seeking compensation.

 

[Tbone999]

Apple and AT&T reimbursed all my data overages and also credited me the difference of my old plan and new plan which had a higher data tier. I was also given $250 from Apple.

All it took was a phone call to each. Why sue?

I'm impressed! My phone calls to Apple and ATT&T only resulted anthem blaming each other and saying they couldn't help.

 

[Tbone999]

what a strange bug... as usually i bet those affected never even thought to restoring their phone...or did that?

I have to say false here for the law firm..

Why would a company focused on security NOT issue a fix in a given time frame ?

Now if this was an Android phone.. things would be very different.. but it ain't

I'm just astounded by some of the comments here. 1) Just because it never happened to you doesn't mean that it didn't happen to others. 2) You have no idea whether not the issue was fixed by Apple. Maybe or maybe not. You're just speculating. If the issue wasn't fixed by Apple, then this affected deserve some redress.

While I have a lot of problems with class action lawsuits -- principally, because often those affected get very little when they win their case, while the law firms make millions -- these firms usually do not get involved unless they have determined, after talking to experts, that their claims have some merit.

Certainly Apple is free to raise many of the defenses posited here: they fixed it, it couldn't have happened, they are not responsible for the problem.

Class actions lawsuits, while having their downsides (see above) act to prevent companies from ignoring defects and the very threat of them often spurs companies to take proactive actions to address issues and to compensate those affected by them WITHOUT legal action.

Wait until all the facts are in before you criticize the people who join the suit.

 

[Tbone999]

Thanks for the recommendations. I already have pretty much everything off.

I theorize that iOS 8 had 'wifi assist' built in but no method of disabling it (like we have now). I say this because several times, while on wifi, I would get "Could not activate cellular network" while loading data.

It hasn't been as much of a problem since having disabling that feature.

This is a great theory; it explains a lot.

 

[MacAddict1978]

Can unlimited data people get in on the class action lol



When you sell 10 million devices someone's going to find the lucky combo

up, up, down, left, right, left, b, a, start....

 

[iapplelove]

up, up, down, left, right, left, b, a, start....

Contra fan lol?

 

[einmusiker]

Scheisters getting rich

 

[G4er?]

Screw Apple and AT&T!
First I have heard about this issue.
Wife is always complaining about how our daughter keeps going over her data limit and costs us extra money.
Daughter keeps telling us she isn't using the data.
We just figured she was using more than she said.

She has a 5S and we are on AT&T.

I am most definitely going to check into into joining this lawsuit, even though we won't get squat out of it.

 

[rizzo41999]

Not sure if you guys know about the daft WiFi Assist feature in iOS 9 but if you have issues like this it could well be this new 'feature'. I made sure everybody in my company turned it off, as it will automatically use mobile data even if you are on WiFi if the throughput is not very strong (like being in the back yard doing yard work).

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT205296

Wow thanks man, just turned it off. Will be sure to pass that along as well!

 

[AvidArtist]

I've had 6 GB/month for over 5 years now (all with iPhones), and I never once went anywhere near that limit... until I got my iPhone 6. I've been over or near every month since.

It seems like something's up.

Same with my bf.