Apple Starts Compensation Payouts For Claims It Slowed iPhones

Teenage boy sitting on sofa and using smart home interface on smartphone.

Some U.S. Apple iPhone owners have begun to receive checks for about $92 from the tech giant as part of its settlement of up to $500 million over allegations of battery throttling, according to media reports.

The settlement follows a class action lawsuit that accused Apple of intentionally slowing down certain models of the iPhone to force users to replace their batteries or buy new phones — a scheme nicknamed “batterygate.” 

Apple, which agreed to the settlement in November 2023, began to distribute checks on a rolling basis starting January 6, according to the settlement website.

Who is eligible for a payment?

The settlement includes a cash payment for owners of iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, and/or SE device that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21, 2017, and/or for U.S. owners of an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus device that ran iOS 11.2 or later before December 21, 2017, according to the website.

The deadline for submitting a claim was October 6, 2020.

How much is the payment?

Under the proposed settlement agreement, Apple will make a minimum payment of $310 million and a maximum of up to $500 million, depending on the number of claims submitted.

Given the volume of claims, the payout per affected device comes out to $92.17, according to a MacRumors report.

Verizon's separate settlement

The news comes on the heels of Verizon's class-action suit settlement in which the telecom company agreed to pay $100 million to post-paid customers who were charged a monthly administrative fee. 

Eligible Verizon customers will initially receive a minimum of $15, with an additional $1 for each month of being a subscriber and charged an administration fee, according to the settlement website. 

The deadline for submitting a claim for the Verizon settlement is April 15.