Technology giant firm Apple has been labeled with nine lawsuits for alleged fraud by slowing down older iPhone devices.
The lawsuits said iPhone maker slowed down to compensate for poor battery performance. Eight of the nine complaints have been registered in the US District Courts in California, New York and Illinois.
The lawsuits demand unspecified damages from iPhone maker, in addition to reimbursement for the phones purchased. Two of the complaints ask for court orders barring Apple from reducing iPhone computer speeds, or at least informing customers before it does so.
On Monday, two Israelis in Tel Aviv filed class action lawsuit of Rs 801 crore ($125 million). They claim that Apple breached its duty toward consumers by concealing information. The suit accuses Apple of “breaching its basic duties toward users by failing to disclose that ‘innocent’ software updates would have negative implications for their phone use”.
The Israelis claim that it breached its duty toward consumers by concealing information. The suit accuses Apple of “breaching its basic duties toward users by failing to disclose that ‘innocent’ software updates would have negative implications for their phone use”.
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On December 20, the company admitted that it ensures iPhones with older batteries slow down so that they do not start shutting down unexpectedly. While some users said it was a strategy adopted by the company to force customers to upgrade their phones. Phones without the adjustment would shut down abruptly because of a precaution designed to prevent components from getting fried, it added.
Primate Labs, which develops an iPhone performance measuring app, identified blips in processing speed and concluded that a software change had to be behind them.
Apple has not replied to Entrackr queries on their stand and future course of action.
A decade ago the first Apple iPhone set into motion a chain of events that completely turned the mobile phone ecosystem on its head. Almost 1.25 billion iPhones have been sold since then.
