Apple Is Facing Lawsuits For Slowing Down Your Old iPhones

Without user consent.


Article heading image for Apple Is Facing Lawsuits For Slowing Down Your Old iPhones

Image: Getty

Apple is facing two separate lawsuits for slowing down your old iPhone.

The company has admitted it has been slowing down the iPhone 6, 6S, 7 and SE -  without user consent - in order to ease pressure on the phone as the battery ages, which prevents it from abruptly shutting down.

Apple says the battery is slowed to give the "best experience for customers" by preventing shutdowns and prolonging the life of the device.

“Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6S and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions,” an Apple spokesperson said.

“We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”

In the first case, represented by Atlas Consumer Law, multiple plaintiffs have claimed that Apple is "fraudulently forcing iPhone owners to purchase the latest model offered by Apple" by slowing the older phones down.

"Apple's failure to inform consumers these updates would wreak havoc on the phone's performance is being deemed purposeful, and if proven, constitutes the unlawful and decisive withholding of material information," they wrote in a press release.

In a separate case, two California plaintiffs claim the slowing down of their old iPhone caused them to suffer from "economic damages and other harm for which they are entitled to compensation".

Users have noted that a battery replacement in those old iPhones causes them to return to their normal level of performance.

Ethan Meldrum

23 December 2017

Article by:

Ethan Meldrum




Listen Live!

Up Next