Apple has faced criticism for a lack of transparency around its battery policies.
Angela Lang/CNET
Apple has agreed to play up to $500 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the tech giant of slowing down older iPhones in order to encourage people to buy the latest — and most expensive — model of phone.
Apple faced a wave of backlash after admitting in 2017 that its iOS software slows down the performance of some older iPhones. At the time, Apple apologized for its lack of transparency and offered battery replacements. However, the company has maintained that the practice is designed to protect iPhones from automatically shutting down during certain high-speed tasks if its batteries are old, the device is very cold or it's operating at low power.
The settlement, released Friday, calls for Apple to pay consumers $25 per iPhone, which may be adjust depending on how many devices are eligible, with a minimum total payout of $310 million. It covers current and former iPhone owners in the US who had an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus or SE running iOS 12.2.1 or later. It also covers the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus running iOS 11.2 or later before Dec. 21, 2017.
Apple denied any wrongdoing in the case. The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
The preliminary proposed settlement must be approved by Judge Edward Davila in US District Court for the Northern District of California.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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