Apple’s $14 Million iPhone Throttling Settlement Approved in Canada

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has sanctioned a proposed settlement of up to $14.4 million from Apple to members of a class-action lawsuit.

Back in January, Apple agreed to pay the settlement in the class action but tit was awaiting approval. The approval date was supposed to be set at the end of January, but was later extended to February 21, as the B.C. Judge needed more time to make a decision.

Now, according to CBC News, an approval of the $14.4 million payout has been approved.

Michael Peerless, class counsel, in an interview with CBC News, stated, “The judge ultimately decided that the proposed settlement was fair, reasonable and in the best decision of the class.” He further noted, “Apple did the right thing and came forward and, in a sense, stood behind their product without making a legal admission that they did anything wrong. And that’s very normal for a class action.”

Apple was accused of purposely slowing down iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7, or 7 Plus models with software updates. Apple has denied the allegations and consented to pay between $11.1 to $14.4 million, noting this was not an admission of guilt. The iPhone maker had settled a similar lawsuit in the U.S.

“If you owned and/or purchased an Apple iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7 or 7 Plus smartphone device with iOS 10.2.1 or later (for iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, or SE) and/or iOS 11.2 or later (for iPhone 7 or 7 Plus) installed or downloaded, before December 21, 2017, you may be eligible for a payment from this class action,” explains the settlement website.

Claimants can receive between $17.50 and $150 and will need to provide a serial number of each affected phone. The class action lawsuit covers residents in all provinces except for Quebec (they have their own case ongoing right now).

Now, given how old the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 series are, it remains to be seen who still has their phones around to submit a serial number as part of the class action lawsuit. Do you still hold any of these eligible models?