Apple has been hit with yet another lawsuit claiming that it intentionally slowed down older iPhone models. The lawsuit was filed in Italy by Euroconsumers, a consumer advocacy group that includes Italy’s Altroconsumo. The lawsuit seeks $73 million in compensation for affected iPhone users.
As reported by The Verge, the lawsuit relates to Apple’s decision to throttle older iPhone models as battery health degrades. This lawsuit is seeking €60 million in compensation, which comes to around €60 per device, for iPhone 6, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6S, and iPhone 6S Plus users.
Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers, said in a statement:
“When consumers buy Apple iPhones, they expect sustainable quality products. Unfortunately, that is not what happened with the iPhone 6 series. Not only were consumers defrauded, and did they have to face frustration and financial harm, from an environmental point of view it is also utterly irresponsible.”
The lawsuit centers around claims that Apple had not appropriately disclosed the changes to performance introduced with iOS 10.2.1. This was the iOS update that implemented new performance throttling changes for older iPhones with aging batteries.
In a separate statement, an Apple spokesperson shot back and said it “would never do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product.”
“We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades,” an Apple spokesperson said in an email to The Verge. “Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”
This is only the latest lawsuit that Apple has faced over the 2017 “batterygate” controversy. Last year, Apple agreed to pay $500 million to settle a United States lawsuit over the matter. It also agreed to pay $113 million to settle a separate multi-state investigation.
Apple was also hit with a 10 million euro fine in Italy over the iPhone performance throttling scandal.
On the iPhone, Apple now allows users to manage their Battery Health and capacity, and disable performance throttling caused by reduced battery capacity. iOS 13 also quietly added a new Optimized Battery Charging feature, which aims to extend the lifespan of your iPhone’s battery to reduce how often the battery stays at 100% charge. Apple has also added similar features to macOS, watchOS, and even AirPods.
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