Class Action Lawsuit Accuses Apple of Slowing Down iPhone 4s With iOS 9 Update

Today, Apple was hit with a class action lawsuit seeking over $5 million in damages for deceptive trade practices and false advertising.

Plaintiff Chaim Lerman says he and other iPhone 4s owners became unable to use their devices after upgrading to iOS 9 as the update “significantly slowed down” their iPhones. Lerman also says that the update interfered with normal usage of the device.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs were forced to either live with a “slow and buggy” device that “disrupts every day life” or shell out hundreds of dollars for a new iPhone.

The plaintiffs argue that Apple failed to properly warn iPhone 4s users that the update would “significantly interfere” with the performance of their phones. When Lerman and other plaintiffs upgraded their devices, they noticed a significant drop in performance in both third-party apps and basic functions like using the Phone and Messages app.

Apple’s advertising, the plaintiffs allege, does not mention the potential of slowed performance for iPhone 4s users, instead focusing on performance improvements. The lawsuit points towards Apple’s iOS 9 website, which says the update brings “faster performance, improved security, convenient updates, and longer battery life.”

The plaintiffs argue that Apple must have known about the iPhone 4s’ slower performance from internal testing or other means and did not warn users about potential headaches in their advertising.

This isn’t the first time Apple has been accused of planning obsolescence, as the company was hit with a lawsuit in 2011 regarding the iPhone 3G and iOS 4.

[via Tech Insider]