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Samsung, Apple Smartphone Class Action Lawsuits Overview:
- Who: Samsung and Apple have faced a variety of class action lawsuits recently and in the past over their smartphone devices.
- Why: Class action lawsuits have been filed over issues revolving around a smartphone’s safety, design, privacy, ability and performance.
- Where: The lawsuits have been filed nationwide.
The device the average consumer has the most intimate relationship with these days would almost undoubtedly have to be their personal smartphone.
With our eyes glued to the screen for hours a day on average, the ability of our smartphones to work properly is becoming increasingly important both personally and professionally.
Consumers, therefore, take their smartphone’s functioning seriously and regularly target manufacturers with complaints when things go wrong.
A number of class action lawsuits have been filed recently and in the past against two of the country’s leading smartphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung, over claims revolving around issues related to performance, design, ability, safety and privacy.
With that in mind, TCA is taking a look at the smartphones, which, according to class action lawsuits and the consumers behind them, are the worst devices in America.
Samsung Galaxy Smartphone Models Face Number Of Speed Claims
Samsung was the target of a class action lawsuit earlier this month after consumers claimed the company falsely represents the speed of its smartphones.
Consumers claim Samsung programs its smartphones to perform faster than normal when they detect they are undergoing a test for their speed.
The company does this to give the illusion its smartphones are faster than they actually are so that they can charge more for them, consumers claim.
Consumers specifically have taken aim at Samsung’s Galaxy S10, S20, S21 and S22 smartphone models and those labeled “Plus,” “Ultra” or “FE.”
The allegations against Samsung are not new, either. The multinational manufacturing conglomerate agreed to pay $2.8 million in October 2019 to resolve claims it misled consumers about the speed of its Galaxy S4 smartphones.
A year prior, Samsung was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it falsely advertised the pixel count for its Galaxy smart devices.
Consumers alleged Samsung inflated the advertised pixel count for the screens to make it seem as if they were capable of providing higher resolution than they actually could.
Samsung Devices Have Safety Issues, Class Actions Claim
While performance issues were at the heart of the consumer complaints listed above, Samsung has also had to deal with issues regarding concerns over the safety of its devices.
Beginning around 2016, a number of class action lawsuits were filed against Samsung over claims some of its devices could overheat, causing them to explode and burst into flames.
Consumers claimed the problem was caused by the lithium ion battery housed inside the devices, including the Samsung Note 7, which was infamously removed from the market due to the issue.
In 2018, Samsung sought to force arbitration to escape claims its smartphones, including the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S5 and Note 5, were prone to overheating.
Samsung argued consumers who purchased the smartphones had agreed to a clause that required them to settle arguments through arbitration rather than court.
The company’s Galaxy S7 line was also at the center of a class action filed in 2016 that argued the smartphones weren’t water resistant as Samsung had allegedly advertised.
Apple’s iPhone Has Faced Numerous Complaints Over The Years
Apple has also faced its fair share of complaints over its iPhone devices.
Just this month, a group of consumers asked a California federal judge to grant class certification for their claims that the company deceived them about the storage capacity in their older mobile devices.
Consumers argue the devices personal storage is not what is promised due to how much space an iOS8 update takes up.
In February, meanwhile, Apple agreed to pay $95 million to resolve claims it provided remanufactured or refurbished devices as replacements for consumers who purchased AppleCare or AppleCare+ for their iPhone or iPad.
The settlement, which is now closed, was available to anyone who purchased the warranty plan for their iPhone or iPad after July 2012.
Also last month, a judge dismissed a class action targeting Apple over claims it falsely advertised its iPhones as being more water resistant than they actually are.
The judge overseeing the case ruled consumers had not adequately shown that their iPhones were damaged by liquid beyond what Apple had suggested they could handle.
Apple Hit With Class Action Lawsuits Over Privacy Concerns
Issues with privacy, meanwhile, were at the center of a class action lawsuit filed against Apple in 2019 over claims that its Siri voice assistant recorded consumers without their knowledge or consent.
The consumer argued that Siri, which is programmed into Apple’s iPhone devices, would record conversations even when a “wake phrase” wasn’t used to activate it.
Also in 2019, consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Apple over claims it deceived them into thinking their data was being hosted on its iCloud when, in reality, it was being hosted on non-Apple cloud services.
Consumers argued that, had they known Apple would not be personally hosting their data, that they would not have subscribed to its iCloud service or pay as much as they had.
An issue affecting consumers recently is prerecorded voicemail messages showing up on their cell phones without their device ever ringing.
If this has happened to you, you may qualify to join a free ringless voicemail class action lawsuit investigation.
Have you purchased a smartphone manufactured by Samsung or Apple? Let us know in the comments!
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