A recent court decision has resulted in Apple issuing checks to some consumers affected by what is now known as “Batterygate”.
This is the latest development in the long-running saga involving Apple’s battery-related practices. The saga began over three years ago when several reports surfaced claiming that Apple had been deliberately throttling the performance of older iPhones with aging batteries in order to preserve battery life. This practice became known as “Batterygate”.
Apple subsequently issued several software updates to address the issue, but multiple lawsuits were filed against the company with plaintiffs seeking class action status.
Now, after three years of legal wrangling, Apple has begun sending out checks to those affected by Batterygate. The $25 checks are being sent out to any US resident that owned certain iPhone models before December 21, 2017, and can prove that they purchased either a battery replacement or an out-of-warranty repair from Apple for their device.
It is unclear how many people have been affected by Batterygate, though the company has stated that the total amount of money awarded will be around $500 million.
The controversy surrounding Batterygate has been a huge financial headache for Apple, with multiple lawsuits, thousands of media reports, and an SEC investigation. Though Apple has maintained that its actions were taken to preserve the battery life of older iPhones, the incident has raised questions about the company’s transparency and customer service practices.
It remains to be seen if this check is enough to appease the affected consumers, but it certainly marks an important step forward in the case. Moving forward, Apple will likely need to be more transparent about its battery-related practices in order to prevent a similar situation from ever occurring again.