Apple Class Action Claims iPhone iOS Updates Throttle Phone Speeds

A recent Apple class action lawsuit claims that the tech company intentionally “throttled” their older iPhone models with iOS updates.

Apple routinely launches new iPhones with new features and better technology. With these yearly launches, it can be difficult for consumers to keep up.

The Apple class action lawsuit alleges that the tech company purposefully induces consumers to purchase new phones by launching iOS updates to slow down phone speeds.

According to several plaintiffs, Apple’s update throttling affected several iPhone models such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus.

The alleged “throttling” was implemented in the following iOS 10 and 11 updates: iOS 10.2.1, iOS 10.3, iOS 10.3.1, iOS 10.3.2, iOS 10.3.3, iOS 11.0.1, iOS 11.0.2, iOS 11.0.3, iOS 11.1, iOS 11.1.1, iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.2, and iOS 11.2. Specifically, iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 11.2.

The updates were reportedly prompted by consumer complaints in fall 2016. iPhone users allegedly started to experience unexpected shutdowns and battery issues in their older iPhones. Even with 30 to 40 percent battery remaining, users allegedly had their phones shut down randomly. In November 2016, Apple reportedly acknowledged the issue but claimed that only affected a limited number of devices.

To remedy the problem, Apple allegedly started to release updates to improve the device performance. However, these updates reportedly “throttled” the iPhone performance in order to reduce the shutdowns.

“Instead of actually fixing the Defect, Apple decided to put a band-aide over the Defect by unlawfully throttling the performance of the Devices without the knowledge or consent of the Device users,” the Apple class action claims.

“Apple surreptitiously masked technology in the 10.2.1 iOS update that would intentionally decrease the performance of the Devices in an effort to reduce the frequency of the Defect, which is a blatant violation of multiple federal and state laws.”

The company was allegedly called out for its duplicitous updates but reportedly gave only lackluster apologies and discounts on out of warranty Apple batteries.

“We’ve been hearing feedback from our customers about the way we handle performance for iPhones with older batteries and how we have communicated that process. We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize,” the company reportedly said in a December 2017 letter.

Plaintiffs in the Apple class action claim that they were deceived by the tech company, causing them to suffer from economic harm as their devices lost value.

The consumers seek to represent a Class of consumers who purchased iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7, 7 Plus models before Dec. 20, 2017.

Did you download an Apple iOS update which slowed down the performance of your iPhone? Share your experiences in the comment section below!

Plaintiffs and the proposed Class are represented by Ugonne Ndukwu Lord of Red Sapphire PC.

The Apple iOS Class Action Lawsuit is Gonzalez, et al. v. Apple Inc., Case No. 5:19-cv-06646-EJD, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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