saying that it was throttling processor performance
to preserve battery life, although it did not originally
disclose that it was doing so. (In fairness, the company
is far more transparent about this now, and allows you
to turn off the euphemistically named ‘performance
management’ feature.)How will this affect you?
If you’re from the US and have an affected iPhone,
you stand to gain a small amount of money, even if
you haven’t previously participated or even expressed
any interest in the lawsuits. (The named plaintiffs will
receive considerably more, so don’t feel guilty.)
Affected models are the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus,
and SE devices (assuming they are running iOS 10.2.
or later) and the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (running iOS 11.
or later). In all cases, you need to have run those iOS
versions before 21 December 2017 to qualify.
The payout is estimated to be $25 per device. It may
be a little more or less, depending on how many people
put their hands up - there’s a maximum of $500m,
remember. You can’t apply for the payout yet, however,
because the settlement hasn’t been approved. But
contacting the two legal firms representing the plaintiffs
in the lawsuits – Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer and Cotchett,
Pitre & McCarthy – is probably the best starting point.
If you’re an iPhone owner in any other part of the
world, you’re unfortunately not eligible for the payout,
although you may benefit indirectly from the way this
influences Apple’s behaviour in the future.sayingthatitwasthrottlingprocessorperformance
topreservebatterylife,althoughitdidnotoriginally
disclosethatitwasdoingso.(Infairness,thecompany
isfarmoretransparentaboutthisnow,andallowsyou
toturnofftheeuphemisticallynamed‘performance
management’feature.)
How will this affectyou?
Ifyou’refromtheUSandhaveanaffectediPhone,
youstandtogainasmallamountofmoney,evenif
youhaven’tpreviouslyparticipatedorevenexpressed
anyinterestinthelawsuits.(Thenamedplaintiffswill
receiveconsiderablymore,sodon’tfeelguilty.)
AffectedmodelsaretheiPhone6, 6 Plus,6s,6sPlus,
andSEdevices(assumingtheyarerunningiOS10.2.
orlater)andtheiPhone 7 and 7 Plus(runningiOS11.
orlater).Inallcases,youneedtohaverunthoseiOS
versionsbefore 21 December 2017 toqualify.
Thepayoutisestimatedtobe$25perdevice.Itmay
bealittlemoreorless,dependingonhowmanypeople
puttheirhandsup-there’samaximumof$500m,
remember.Youcan’tapplyforthepayoutyet,however,
becausethesettlementhasn’tbeenapproved.But
contactingthetwolegalfirmsrepresentingtheplaintiffs
inthelawsuits–KaplanFox&KilsheimerandCotchett,
Pitre&McCarthy–isprobablythebeststartingpoint.
Ifyou’reaniPhoneownerinanyotherpartofthe
world,you’reunfortunatelynoteligibleforthepayout,
althoughyoumaybenefitindirectlyfromthewaythis
influencesApple’sbehaviourinthefuture.