iPhone users could start to see payments for so-called “batterygate” quite soon. In fact, you could’ve already been paid out.
Some people have reported getting payments as high as $92 as a part of a settlement over Apple throttling battery performance in older iPhones without telling users, Mac Rumors reported.
Apple agreed to pay a total of $500 million as a part of settlement over deliberately preventing chips in older iPhones from operating at full capacity in certain conditions. It was originally estimated claimants would get about $25 — so if the $92 figure is correct, that represents a big jump. Qualifying U.S. users owned an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, or an iPhone SE that ran on iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21, 2017.
Apple never openly admitted it did anything legally wrong — rather saying it poorly communicated a change in how some phones conserved battery health — but the company did offer the cash settlement to avoid a legal fight.
Unfortunately, you cannot sign up for a payment now — you had to have done it by October 2020. The settlement website said payments would begin in January 2024, which has apparently proven to be true. So if you used an old iPhone, keep an eye out for a nice little direct deposit. Happy New Year, indeed.