Apple Now Faces More Than 60 Class Actions Over iPhone Slowdowns, Consolidation Likely Next Month

[MacRumors]

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.

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. The total includes 30 before Judge Edward J. Davila in the Northern District of California, where the lawsuits will likely be centralized given their overlapping claims, according to court documents obtained by MacRumors.

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, according to Toronto-based law firm Rochon Genova LLP.

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. The so-called feature was introduced in iOS 10.2.1.

Apple initially didn't mention the change in its iOS 10.2.1 release notes, and in a statement issued a month later, it still only mentioned vague "improvements" resulting in a significant reduction in unexpected shutdowns.

Apple only revealed exactly what the so-called "improvements" were after Primate Labs founder John Poole visualized that some iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 devices suddenly had lower benchmark scores starting with iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 11.2 respectively, despite operating at maximum performance on previous versions.

Apple apologized for its lack of communication in December, and reduced the price of battery replacements to $29 for iPhone 6 and newer through the end of 2018. Apple will also provide users with more visibility into the health of their iPhone's battery in iOS 11.3, with the feature already available in beta.

Apple also emphatically denied any kind of planned obsolescence:

First and foremost, we have never -- and would never -- do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.

Keep in mind that Apple is not permanently or persistently slowing down older iPhones. Even if your iPhone is affected, the performance limitations only happen intermittently, and only when the device is completing demanding tasks.

MacRumors previously answered many frequently asked questions about Apple's power management process, which can be disabled in iOS 11.3, or avoided by replacing your iPhone's battery if necessary. Read our guide on how to get an iPhone's battery replaced at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Article Link: Apple Now Faces More Than 60 Class Actions Over iPhone Slowdowns, Consolidation Likely Next Month

 

[jonblatho]

And the consolidated lawsuit will fail just as sixty would have.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

I don't think we'll see much come of these.

 

[iName]

I can’t believe people are suing because they don’t understand how batteries work.

 

[johnnygee]

ALL ABOARD! The $$money train$$ is about to leave the station.

 

[az431]

These lawsuits will be dead within six months

 

[1050792]

I can’t believe people are suing because they don’t understand how batteries work.

Phone shuts down in the middle of an important call.
The person clearly didn't know how batteries are supposed to work. /s

 

[true god]

Apple will be paying out 100's of M's in settlements.

 

[jayducharme]

ALL ABOARD! The $$money train$$ is about to leave the station.

Well, money for the lawyers, but that's about it. I still don't understand why people are suing Apple for preventing their phones from shutting down as their batteries aged.

 

[Nunyabinez]

I think Apple will be fined big time and will have to make restitution to millions of users.

The "fix" was made to avoid having to recall millions of iPhones that were defective.

A phone that crashes because the battery is aging is a defect in design and/or manufacturing.

That was mistake number 1.

Then they tried to cover up the defect by slipping some software that prevented it by reducing performance.

That was mistake 2.

Then they didn't tell anyone about mistake 1 or 2.

That was mistake 3.

No way they are coming out of this unscathed.

 

[No. 44]

How can Apple be sued for following a strategy of planned obsolescence now?

They've been doing it for years.

 

[meteoreos]

I can’t believe people are suing because they don’t understand how batteries work.

I think it's more about them not telling anyone they slowed down people's devices.

 

[EvilEvil]

Maybe this will force them to be more transparent and improve their products and software.

 

[jmarttu24]

Makes me so happy that they finally got caught. Been saying this for years and so many people on here were so quick to defend them, sayings its just a conspiracy. I hope apple gets what's coming to them.

 

[xkam1x]

I don't understand why people are even bothering with this. As far as I know, EVERY single device that works on battery experiences this behaviour as battery starts to age.

Personally I think it is only valid if Apple slowed a phone even if it had a good battery, which is not the case.

Next we will see "class action lawsuit" against supermarkets because milk bottle ran out of milk.

 

[fighterfoo]

"We implemented this feature to benefit you."

Well, my phone was working just fine before this "feature" was implemented. Now it SUCKS.

"But we'll replace your battery for a discounted rate."

Ok, let's do it.

"Well... not NOW... when the batteries are available."

Alright, so, like, next week sometime?

"Uh... not exactly... we expect about 6-8 weeks."

So Apple essentially makes my phone unusable and then holds it hostage for 2 months before I have to pay to make it work again. THANKS APPLE.

 

[heov]

I can’t believe people are suing because they don’t understand how batteries work.

This isn't about battery tech. It's about how Apple handled it. Are you this blind?

 

[I7guy]

Guilty of planned obsolescence in the traditional definition, not really. Guilty of a lack of transparency. Absolutely.

 

[thebeachbum]

Agree they should be consolidated. Then, they should be dismissed a frivolous.

 

[RudySnow]

I just LOVED how my “dead-and-dying” iPhone 6 slowed to a ridiculous crawl after 10.2.1. Then, after downloading the 11.3 betas, welllllll...... it’s screaming like it did before, with 80% battery capacity that can actually hold a charge through the overnight hours, and no crashing.

I love Apple but I hope these lawsuits take a big bite out of the arrogance they showed to their unwitting customers.

 

[Swift]

They're angry that Apple hasn't made a battery that lasts forever and costs nothing.

 

[trifid]

I can’t believe people are suing because they don’t understand how batteries work.

So why is 5s not affected according to Apple, but 6 is? Lithium tech is the same right? The issue isn’t as simple as you or Apple wants it to be.

 

[78Bandit]

I can’t believe people are suing because they don’t understand how batteries work.

I can't believe Apple released multiple generations of devices that start randomly shutting down after less than two years. One would think Apple's engineers would have a better idea of how peak battery voltage output declines over time.

 

[Swift]

This isn't about battery tech. It's about how Apple handled it. Are you this blind?

Are you? What do you want? A phone that slows down when you need a battery, or one that crashes and loses data?

 

[jimbobb24]

I am surprised there are only 60 given the incentives for lawyers to get rich and the number of people who don't understand software and batteries. Which includes all the lawyers. The most anyone is going to get from this lawsuit is the cost of a battery if that. The lawyers stand to make millions.