Apple to start paying out claims in $500M iPhone slowdown lawsuit: reports

(NEXSTAR) – iPhone users who have long complained their phones get slower after a software update may finally be getting paid for their troubles.

Apple will soon start paying out between $310 million and $500 million it agreed to pay to settle claims the company intentionally slowed down old iPhones' performance with a new iOS update. How much the company ultimately pays out will depend on the number of approved claims.

The good news is about 3 million people who filed claims in the class action lawsuit will soon see payments of about $65, Verge reports. The bad news is that if you didn't already file a claim before the deadline passed in October 2020, it's too late now.

Even though the settlement was reached years ago, people still haven't received their payment because of drawn out court procedures and appeals. But last week, the law firm representing Apple customers announced an appeal challenging the lawsuit was dismissed, "allowing [the] historic settlement to be distributed to Apple iPhone consumers impacted by software throttling.

Only customers with an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, or SE device were eligible if they ran the iOS 10.2.1 software (or a later version) before Dec. 21, 2017.

The same goes for people who had an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus and downloaded iOS 11.2 or later before Dec. 21, 2017.

The lawsuit stemmed from claims these software updates would intentionally slow down iPhones' performance. Apple said this was in order to extend the devices' battery life, the Associated Press reported.

However, the company didn't reveal the updates would slow down performance until after user complaints, according to Verge. This led to accusations of "deception and planned obsolescence" and lawsuits filed around the world.

Apple denies all wrongdoing but agreed to settle the lawsuit "to avoid burdensome and costly litigation," according to the settlement administrator.

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