Apple Battles $2 Billion Lawsuit in UK That Alleges It Hid Battery Issues in iPhone Models

Lawsuit alleges that Apple concealed issues with batteries in certain iPhone models and "surreptitiously" installed a power management tool.

By Reuters | Updated: 2 May 2023 19:34 IST

Photo Credit: Reuters

Apple is facing a lawsuit worth up to 1.6 billion pounds plus interest

Highlights

Apple had also committed to be "clearer and more upfront" with iPhone use
The company denies misleading its customers about iPhone battery issues
Apple strongly denies its iPhones' batteries were defective

Apple urged a London tribunal on Tuesday to block a $2 billion (roughly Rs. 163 crore) mass lawsuit accusing it of hiding defective batteries in millions of iPhones by "throttling" them with software updates.

The tech giant is facing a lawsuit worth up to 1.6 billion pounds plus interest, brought by consumer champion Justin Gutmann on behalf of iPhone users in the United Kingdom.

Gutmann's lawyers argued in court filings that Apple concealed issues with batteries in certain phone models and "surreptitiously" installed a power management tool that limited performance.

[Sponsored] Samsung Galaxy S24: The Ultimate Camera Phone With Smarter On-Device AI

Apple said in written arguments that the lawsuit is "baseless" and strongly denies its iPhones' batteries were defective, apart from in a small number of iPhone 6s models for which it offered free battery replacements.

The company also says its power management update – introduced in 2017 to manage demands on older batteries or with a low level of charge – only reduced an iPhone 6's performance by an average of 10 percent.

Gutmann on Tuesday asked London's Competition Appeal Tribunal to certify the case and allow it to proceed towards a trial.

How to Buy an iPhone 14 for Rs. 39,323 During the Amazon Great Summer Sale

His lawyer Philip Moser referred to Apple's 2020 agreements to settle a US class action and regulatory action by US states over iPhone battery issues as showing Apple was not "saying this never happened".

Apple had also committed to being "clearer and more upfront" with iPhone users about battery health to Britain's competition watchdog in 2019, Moser said.

The company denies misleading its customers about iPhone battery issues and points to a public apology it issued in 2017, offering cheaper battery replacements to affected customers.

Apple Releases First Public Rapid Security Response Update: Details

Apple's lawyer David Wolfson said in court filings that the lawsuit effectively alleges that "not all batteries could deliver the peak power demanded in all circumstances at all times", which was common to all battery-powered devices.

Apple is opening its first stores in India, one in Mumbai and the other in Delhi. What does this mean for Apple customers in India? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.