Apple has agreed to compensate iPhone 6, 7, and SE users for slowing down their smartphones, with each person receiving up to $65. Users who did not file a complaint before October 6, 2020, are no longer eligible for reimbursement.
Apple will eventually start compensating select iPhone owners for allegedly slowing down the phone’s functionality. In a five-year-old story, iPhone consumers found themselves in a legal battle with tech giant Apple, saying that their iPhone 6, iPhone 7, and iPhone SE were being purposely slowed down. Accusations flew, and the Cupertino-based firm remained firm. They agreed to slow down the gadgets but stated that they did so with no malice. In a surprising turn of events, Apple chose the road of settlement in 2020, agreeing to a large payout of up to $500 million to avoid a potentially costly legal battle, according to Reuters.
According to a Silicon Valley story, a new ruling has authorized Apple to begin providing money to those who were dissatisfied with their iPhones because they were purposefully delayed. Tyson Redenbarger, a legal advocate for these iPhone users, estimates that each person will receive approximately $65, which is approximately Rs 5000 in Indian currency. According to SiliconValley.com, this could imply that the problem is finally coming to an end.
Apple revealed in 2016 that they purposefully made earlier iPhones sluggish. They claimed they did it to keep the phones from abruptly turning off, not to be cruel. The Verge reported on this. It’s as if Apple was explaining why they did it like a great speaker.
This answer, however, did not persuade everyone. Certain iPhone users were dissatisfied and banded together in 2018, filing a class-action lawsuit against the massive tech behemoth. The list of iPhones affected read like a digital roll call:
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone SE
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
There was a significant legal disagreement with Apple. They initially claimed they had done nothing wrong, but by 2020, they had changed their minds and wished to make things right. They agreed to pay a sum ranging from $310 million to $500 million. Initially, those who protested may have received $25 each. However, two iPhone customers want more and declined the first offer. They were notified this week that they will not receive any more, which means Apple may begin compensating disgruntled iPhone consumers.
Who is eligible for compensation?
If you owned an iPhone 6, 7, or the first SE model, you may be wondering if you will be compensated financially. Unfortunately, if you didn’t request it before October 6, 2020, you won’t be able to acquire it now. If you miss that deadline, your chances of receiving compensation are gone. Basically, you had to register with your serial number on a website built by the firm to log in complaints from people who had problems with the performance of their iPhone.
A separate website was launched three years ago for people to announce they sought money. They had to enter their iPhone’s serial number to prove they possessed one. They could choose to get the funds in their bank or through a check mailed to them. This demonstrates how new methods of payment, such as the internet, are affecting the way people are paid.
