Apple Agrees to Pay Canadian Customers Following iPhone Throttling Controversy

[MacRumors]

Canadians may soon be eligible to receive a payment from Apple following the company's iPhone battery throttling controversy in 2017.

Apple has agreed to pay up to $14.4 million (CAD) to settle a class action lawsuit in Canada that alleged the company secretly throttled the performance of some iPhone models, and the British Columbia Supreme Court will decide whether to approve the proposed settlement on January 29, according to a website set up for the case.

If the settlement is approved, those eligible will be able to submit a claim for a payment of up to $150 (CAD) per affected iPhone from Apple. The exact payout amount will depend on the total number of claims that are submitted. Apple has denied the allegations described in the lawsuit, and the settlement does not represent an admission of fault.

The class includes any current or former resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) who owned and/or purchased an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and/or iPhone SE with iOS 10.2.1 or later installed or downloaded, and/or an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus with iOS 11.2 or later installed or downloaded, before December 21, 2017.

More information about submitting a claim will be provided on the settlement's website if it is approved — no action is required at this time for those who wish to pursue this option. Those who wish to opt out of the class action to retain their rights to sue Apple over these allegations must do so by no later than January 10.

Apple was sued in multiple Canadian provinces over iPhone battery throttling in 2018, including Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. The cases were filed shortly after Apple revealed that it had started throttling the maximum performance of some iPhone models with "chemically aged" batteries, when necessary, to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down. Apple introduced this new power management system in iOS 10.2.1, but it initially failed to mention the change in that update's release notes, leading to public outcry. Apple eventually apologized about its lack of transparency, and temporarily lowered the price of iPhone battery replacements to $29 until the end of 2018.

Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million (USD) to settle a similar class action lawsuit in the U.S., and payments of $92.17 per claim started going out this week to those who submitted claims in that case, marking the end of the so-called "batterygate" saga there.

Article Link: Apple Agrees to Pay Canadian Customers Following iPhone Throttling Controversy

 

[staypuftforums]

I’m Canadian and own an iPhone 6.

Do I need a receipt to get in on this?

 

[bcomer]

I’m Canadian and own an iPhone 6.

Do I need a receipt to get in on this?

I suspect the phone serial number may be enough.

 

[truthsteve]

throttling was the right thing to do anyways.

whiners gonna whine

 

[staypuftforums]

I suspect the phone serial number may be enough.

Nice. I remember buying it outright from a carrier (Rogers). Wonder if that will affect anything.

I doubt I’ll ever see anything close to $150 when all is said and done. Probably closer to $1.50.

 

[JPack]

throttling was the right thing to do anyways.

whiners gonna whine

No need to quote Apple's position on this.

 

[fredn]

I doubt I’ll ever see anything close to $150 when all is said and done. Probably closer to $1.50.

The Muricans got ~$95 USD for each phone

 

[MacPoulet]

The Muricans got ~$95 USD for each phone

Sweet! Got a 6, 7, and the original SE. If I get close to that I can put that towards a new phone.

 

[Born Again]

im rich bi

 

[coolfactor]

I'm in BC, but I won't make any effort to make a claim. Could I use an extra $100+? Sure! But I don't support these types of lawsuits. They only end up costing us more in the end. Sure, demand action to resolve issues, but don't demand a financial payout.

 

[coolfactor]

I suspect the phone serial number may be enough.

Yah, my older phones are long gone! No idea what the serial numbers would be, and no receipts kicking around.

 

[Sorinut]

throttling was the right thing to do anyways.

whiners gonna whine

It was the right thing to do, but Apple not telling the end-users when and why was unethical.

I'll email my sister this about this in Ontario.. She was still using a 6 until last year.

 

[widestload]

My fingers are crossed the UK will get something similar soon.

 

[amartinez1660]

Why is Quebec always excluded from all these things.
I could maybe understand the sweepstakes and prizes that appear here and there, as maybe it’s annoying to deal with (and maybe Quebec doesn’t like people winning stuff), but a whole lawsuit?
Batteries degradation, phone shutdown and the throttling fix isn’t province specific…

I had an iPhone 4S and was stationed in QC for a couple of years, that phone would turn off at the worst timing. In hindsight maybe those issues were already happening exacerbated by the extreme cold of Quebec’s winter weather.

 

[Someyoungguy]

I'm in BC, but I won't make any effort to make a claim. Could I use an extra $100+? Sure! But I don't support these types of lawsuits. They only end up costing us more in the end. Sure, demand action to resolve issues, but don't demand a financial payout.

The only thing corporations understand is money. Besides, you are only raising the amount everyone else gets, as the pool is/will be fixed and divided amongst the injured parties.

 

[pauliaK]

Why is Quebec always excluded from all these things.
I could maybe understand the sweepstakes and prizes that appear here and there, as maybe it’s annoying to deal with (and maybe Quebec doesn’t like people winning stuff), but a whole lawsuit?
Batteries degradation, phone shutdown and the throttling fix isn’t province specific…

I had an iPhone 4S and was stationed in QC for a couple of years, that phone would turn off at the worst timing. In hindsight maybe those issues were already happening exacerbated by the extreme cold of Quebec’s winter weather.

Quebec follows a civil law legal system, similar to what Europe uses but different from every other province or state in Canada/US where common law system is used.

 

[fredn]

Why is Quebec always excluded from all these things.

I imagine it's because they don't want to translate everything to French and deal with the Quebec legal system... A Quebec law firm would have to bring an action on behalf of Quebeckers I guess.

 

[fgladu]

Why is Quebec always excluded from all these things.
I could maybe understand the sweepstakes and prizes that appear here and there, as maybe it’s annoying to deal with (and maybe Quebec doesn’t like people winning stuff), but a whole lawsuit?
Batteries degradation, phone shutdown and the throttling fix isn’t province specific…

I had an iPhone 4S and was stationed in QC for a couple of years, that phone would turn off at the worst timing. In hindsight maybe those issues were already happening exacerbated by the extreme cold of Quebec’s winter weather.

I don't see that Quebec is excluded on the class action page...

 

[AppleInLVX]

Had two of those. I've never gotten in on anything like this before, but I think I'll give it a shot this time. If nothing else, I can buy a cup of coffee or something with the spoils.

 

[blumoon]

I received my $92.17 today. Well it’s pending in my bank account.

 

[staypuftforums]

It was the right thing to do, but Apple not telling the end-users when and why was unethical.

I'll email my sister this about this in Ontario.. She was still using a 6 until last year.

Me too, until December 2022.

I bought the special 32GB model, direct from a carrier, after Apple had discontinued selling the regular 6.

Worked perfectly until it became nearly unusable practically overnight. Replaced it with the newest SE.

 

[amartinez1660]

I don't see that Quebec is excluded on the class action page...

Ah could be, didn’t get there, just went by this article… but can believe it as it’s generally always the case.

One of the commenters mention of Common Law vs Civil Law roots did pique an interest.

EDIT: typos

 

[fgladu]

Ah could be, didn’t get there, just went by this article… but can believe it as it’s generally always the case.

One the commenters mention of Common Law vs Civil Law roots did pique an interesting.

You may be right, but in the past, I received compensation for writable CD and Mac graphic cards. So feeling hopeful.

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

14.4M? Hopefully USD at least


Thats a sweet deal, I’d wager they made way more than that from all the Canadians they forced to upgrade out of perfectly good hardware


Not sure how this communicates that crippling hardware with software “updates” is a bad idea to them

 

[zachiedoo]

Why is Quebec always excluded from all these things.
I could maybe understand the sweepstakes and prizes that appear here and there, as maybe it’s annoying to deal with (and maybe Quebec doesn’t like people winning stuff), but a whole lawsuit?
Batteries degradation, phone shutdown and the throttling fix isn’t province specific…

I had an iPhone 4S and was stationed in QC for a couple of years, that phone would turn off at the worst timing. In hindsight maybe those issues were already happening exacerbated by the extreme cold of Quebec’s winter weather.

Yeah, I'm in QC and would be eligible as we used an SE from 2014 'til Jan 2023 and I still have it. Quebec's insistence on being 'different', just for the sake of it, really ticks me off. It shuts us out of a lot of things.