There is a new lawsuit that Apple is facing in the United Kingdom, but this centers on a massive issue that the company already faced in the past, and it is the infamous "Batterygate" issue of the iPhones. The Cupertino giant previously faced multiple complaints from users regarding old iPhones that have battery problems, one that pushes them into numerous software updates.
Apple's battery issues were first seen with the iPhone 6s, with degraded power cells significantly affecting the device, making it so that users would rather upgrade to the latest smartphone to avoid these issues.
Apple Faces a Complaint from the UK Regarding Batterygate Issues
According to Reuters, Apple is facing a $2 billion lawsuit in the UK over allegations of intentionally slowing down older iPhones. The lawsuit is led by consumer champion Justin Gutmann and was filed on behalf of UK iPhone users, centering on the infamous "Batterygate" scandal that first came to light in 2017.
The report claims that Gutmann's lawyers claim that Apple installed a power management tool in the smartphone which limits the performance of old devices, similar to the notorious Batterygate issue.
The group alleges that Apple deliberately slowed down older iPhones to encourage customers to buy new ones.
However, according to 9to5 Mac, Apple claimed that these complaints are "baseless," but further cited a previously known issue in the past, centering on the defective batteries on the iPhone 6s.
Apple's Batterygate Issues on the Old iPhone Models
Batterygate refers to the practice of Apple slowing down older iPhones with degraded batteries to prevent unexpected shutdowns. Apple initially claimed that the slowdowns were necessary to preserve battery life, but the company later admitted that it had not been transparent with customers about the issue.
The issue first saw a problem on old iPhones which Redditors initially noticed, and led to a lawsuit that forced Apple to settle in the US.
The Infamous Apple Batterygate Scandal
The lawsuit in the UK is just one of several legal challenges that Apple has faced over the Batterygate scandal. In the US, Apple agreed to pay $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit related to the issue.
In another multistate probe in the US, Apple also settled the lawsuit and paid as much as $113 million to alleviate the issue back in November 2020.
The company has also faced investigations by regulatory bodies in other countries.
The Batterygate scandal has had a significant impact on Apple's reputation, with many customers feeling that the company was not transparent about the issue. Apple has since implemented new battery management features in iOS, including a tool that allows users to monitor their battery health and disable performance throttling if they choose to do so.
As the lawsuit in the UK moves forward, it remains to be seen whether Apple will be held accountable for its actions. Regardless of the outcome, the Batterygate scandal serves as a significant dispute against tech companies pushing for new devices, leaving more than a year-old one to die.
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