Apple is finally settling its long-running “Batterygate” class action lawsuit, and it’s sending out checks to consumers who participated. The case was filed in 2018 and sought $500 million in damages for the company’s actions.
For the uninitiated, at the heart of Batterygate lies the issue of Apple’s power management system in older iPhones. Apple implemented a feature that reduced the speed of certain iPhones with aging batteries to limit peak power draw and avoid sudden shutdowns.
The company first revealed the system in 2016—but the issue was only widely exposed in December 2017 when Apple was caught admitting to the practice. This resulted in a major controversy that caused a drop in stock prices and customer trust, among other damages.
As a result, class action lawsuits were filed by customers who claimed Apple had misled them. The lawsuit sought $500 million in damages and alleged that Apple had failed to properly inform iPhone users about their time-limited battery capacity.
Now, Apple is finally settling the case. According to reports, anyone with an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus, or iPhone 7 that was running iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21, 2017 can receive a check of $25. More expensive iPhones with affected batteries can receive up to $500.
Apple is also sending out paper checks or electronic payments this month. Affected customers can submit their claims online, and Apple will mail out checks within sixty days.
While it might not seem like much compared to the $500 million the lawsuit sought, the settlement shows that consumers still have rights and can stand up for themselves when big corporations seek to deceive them. Furthermore, the resolution puts an end to a case that has been going on for three years.
Apple is still lobbying for changes to class action lawsuits in the US, but at least for now, consumers have some recourse against tech giants that might take their data and customers for granted.