Company pays out millions over device slowdown claims without admitting fault
The British Columbia Supreme Court has granted approval to a substantial settlement in a class-action lawsuit against Apple Inc.
This legal action pertained to allegations that software updates released by the tech giant had the effect of slowing down older models of iPhones, as per The Canadian Press.
K.S. Garcha, representing the class, expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, describing the lawsuit as a complex matter. According to Garcha, the settlement, valued at $14.4m, was sanctioned during a hearing on Tuesday.
Eligible claimants from the settlement are anticipated to receive amounts ranging from $17.50 to $150 each. The final amount each claimant receives will depend on the total number of valid claims submitted.
The settlement extends to eligible Canadian residents outside Quebec, encompassing approximately nine million individuals. The litigation's resolution came after a years-long process, culminating in Apple agreeing to a “compromise” without conceding any fault.
Garcha highlighted the advantages of settling over proceeding to trial, noting the potential for protracted litigation and the uncertainties surrounding the approval of claims, damage quantifications, and possible appeals.
This lawsuit brought forth novel legal arguments regarding the unauthorized installation of software on devices by the manufacturer.
Claimants are required to submit their claims within six months through an online procedure, providing details such as their name, address, and the serial number of their iPhone.
Additionally, claimants must affirm under oath that they installed or downloaded specified software updates on certain iPhone 6 and 7 models before December 21, 2017, and experienced reduced performance on their devices subsequently.
The total payout by Apple is slated to be between $11,137,500 and $14,427,500, contingent upon the volume and approval of claims.
Notably, residents of Quebec are not included in this settlement due to a separate legal action currently underway in that province.
The origin of the B.C. lawsuit dates back to 2018, paralleling a similar settlement in the United States where affected class members received $92 each. At a Vancouver hearing in late January, Apple's legal representation reiterated the company's stance of non-admittance to any wrongdoing.
Apple has maintained throughout that the claims, which it considers novel, do not establish any unlawful conduct on its part. Apple has not provided a comment on the approval of the settlement as of yet.
