Apple is sending payments to millions of iPhone users whose older devices were slowed after the tech giant made software updates, part of a legal settlement over what came to be known as "batterygate."
The payments, which have started landing in consumers' bank accounts, are larger than expected, attorneys representing Apple customers said in a statement on Monday. Here's what to know about the payments.
Apple is paying a total of $310 million to $500 million to settle the lawsuit over battery issues with older iPhones, according to Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, one of the law firms representing Apple customers. That breaks down to $92.17 per claimant, Mark C. Molumphy, a partner at the law firm, said in a statement.
The amount "exceed[s] our original estimates, and [is] more than 100% of the claimed damages," Molumphy noted.
The 2018 lawsuit related to claims that Apple deliberately slowed down the overall performance of older iPhones in making updates to its iOS mobile platform, allegedly to prevent aging batteries from shutting down completely when power demands were high.
For its part, Apple said its reason for reducing performance wasn't to hide battery defects, but rather was designed to prolong the lifespan of the devices, the company told the Verge in 2017. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Apple, the claim website notes.
About 100 million consumers may have been eligible for money under the Apple settlement, but only about 3.3 million iPhone users submitted claims prior to the deadline, according to legal documents.
The settlement was available to iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus and SE users running iOS 10.2.1 or later and iPhone 7 and 7 Plus users running iOS 11.2 or later before Dec. 21, 2017, according to the settlement site.
Unfortunately, if you didn't submit a claim prior to the October 6, 2020, deadline, you aren't eligible to receive a check.
According to posts on social media from people who received payments, the settlement money will appear as a direct deposit with the payment line "IN RE APPLE INC."
Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.
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