Apple Faces $500 Million Penalty for Throttling Older iPhones

Apple has accepted a $500 million settlement to resolve lawsuits related to its practice of deliberately slowing down older iPhones. This decision follows widespread user complaints beginning in late 2017, when many owners of older iPhone models noticed significant performance drops after updating to new iOS versions.

The throttling mechanism was first introduced in iOS 10.2.1 for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and later extended to the iPhone 7 series in iOS 11.2.0. Apple claimed the feature was designed to prevent sudden shutdowns on phones with worn-out batteries, although it initially offered a $50 discount on battery replacements in 2018 as a gesture of compensation. With iOS 11.3, users gained the ability to disable this throttling feature.

Despite Apple’s explanations, numerous users pursued legal action, resulting in 66 lawsuits being filed in US courts between 2017 and 2018. These cases have now been combined into a single settlement, with Apple agreeing to pay up to $500 million. Eligible users of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and iPhone SE will receive approximately $25 each, though the final amount may vary based on the total number of claims filed. In addition to the US settlement, Apple was also fined 25 million Euros in France around the same time for similar practices.

The announcement comes amid ongoing anticipation for the upcoming iPhone 9 or iPhone SE 2, though its release may be postponed due to production disruptions in China caused by the Coronavirus outbreak.