What you should know
- The “Batterygate” issue began when iPhones with weak batteries were unable to generate the energy necessary for the processor to handle certain tasks, causing the phones to crash.
- After the release of iOS 10.2.1, users reported that their iPhones were running slower. Apple admitted to slowing down the phones, apologized, and reduced the price of battery replacements on certain models by up to 63% to $29.
- Apple introduced the Battery Health & Charging page, which displays the current capacity of an iPhone battery compared to its capacity when new. This page can be accessed through Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
- Apple is now compensating those affected by the Batterygate issue. The company is paying $92.17 for each successful claim, with some users receiving nearly $1,000. Apple agreed to a $500 million settlement, with $310 million going to consumers. The deadline for filing a claim was October 6, 2020.
Full Story
“Batterygate” kicked off when certain iPhone models couldn’t muster enough juice to handle complex tasks. Weak batteries were to blame, causing the phones to crash. Things got worse after the iOS 10.2.1 update.
iPhone users started noticing their devices were running slower. Apple eventually owned up to the issue, apologized, and offered a solution. They slashed the price to replace the battery on specific iPhone models by a whopping 63% to just $29 for the whole of 2018.
Apple didn’t stop there. They also introduced the Battery Health & Charging page. This page displays the current capacity of your iPhone battery compared to when it was brand spanking new. To access it, you just need to navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
The Batterygate fiasco forced Apple to add the Battery Health & Charging page to iPhones. But the story doesn’t end there. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has started sending out payments to those impacted by the Batterygate throttling.
Here’s the kicker: Apple didn’t admit when they released iOS 10.2.1 that the update would slow down the CPU on affected devices. Now, they’re coughing up $92.17 for each successful claim. Some iPhone users with multiple claims are set to receive nearly a grand from Apple.
Apple agreed to a hefty $500 million settlement, with $310 million going directly to consumers. It seems being a lawyer handling cases like this one can be quite lucrative. If you haven’t filed a claim yet, well, you’ve missed the boat. The deadline was October 6, 2020.
Those who did file on time could submit a claim for each iPhone model covered by the settlement that they owned. The list includes the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE.