There is a class action lawsuit over those I think. Whether there is any 'relief' after the suit remains to be seen. One class action over ebook pricing ended up with a $9 check.
Most times in class action suits, it's only the lawyers that 'win'...
This is corporate spin/propaganda you've regurgitated, FYI. Do you think Apple would be doing jack if not for fear of class of action? We enjoy markedly superior products and services due in large part to fear of litigation.
Here's the truth: it takes lots of time and resources to prove systemic problems needed to prove a product has a default, that the default is the company's fault, and people should be compensated. And, until you win this suit, you have to foot the bill and compete against Apples team of very talented litigation firms.
Are plaintiff's lawyers winners here? Only if they can prove there was actually a defect, and then only by risking lots of their own time and money. Rather than insulting them, as has been fashionable since at least the Reagan years, you should be thanking these people. Is there any downside?...lets look.
Are prices are higher due to a litigation tax passed on to the consumer? This is debatable and possibly, but only partially, true. Big companies are always in litigation over a million issues, and product liability is one of them. Is this cost passed on? Yes, but. The but, is that companies will ALWAYS maximize profits and try to charge as much as the consumer will pay. So, if they're charging more than would otherwise--to pay for lawyers--then they also are implying they wouldn't be charging as much as possible without such expenses--how many companies give away money like that? None.
Think of it this way, Apple has 160 billion in cash now, too much to spend, literally. You can look up articles a year ago when it was 100 billion and analysts worried they would just sit on the money. So, with these unprecedented profits and cash in the bank, Apple could have passed on savings to customers, right? Has that happened? Have their products gotten better? Has anything improved for consumers? No, and you shouldn't expect it to.
For profit corporations are not altruistic by their very nature. They don't care about the environment or helping others or bettering the world--which is why Google's--dont be evil, motto is a big load of poop, btw. By law, they are required to pursue profit for shareholders (assuming they're publicly traded) and the executives face possible personal liability for failing to do that(granted, this sort of liability almost never happens except in the rarest cases where fraud or abusing authority occurs).
It's natural that companies will try to get consumer protection laws and customs--such as class action law suits--eviscerated. They are trying to maximize their profit. What you don't have to do is accept their nonsense.
Corporations have proven to be great creations in many respects. However, one should always be suspect of anything they ever say, as it must be presumed to be for one reason--to make them more money.
