• Apple customers who experienced iPhone throttling issues prior to 2018 may now be eligible for a settlement from Apple.
  • The issues, dubbed “batterygate,” were revealed in December 2017 when Apple was found to be limiting the battery performance on older iPhones to avoid the devices randomly shutting off.
  • Now, customers with an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, or SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21, 2017 who experienced decreased performance may be eligible for a $25 payout.
  • IPhone 7 or 7 Plus users may also be eligible for the settlement if the device was running iOS 11.2 or later and they experienced diminished performance before December 21, 2017.
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If you experienced the iPhone throttling issues dubbed “batterygate” back in 2017, the time has come to claim your settlement money from Apple.

Earlier this year, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of secretly slowing down older iPhones to encourage customers to buy a new device. (Apple denied any wrongdoing, opting for a settlement to avoid expensive litigation fees.)

Now, Apple is providing cash payouts of up to $25 to eligible customers who submit a claim – the total payout will be between $310 million and $500 million, according a website that was set up for members of the class to submit their claims.

MacRumors was the first to spot the the site.

You may be eligible for a settlement if you were a US customer with an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, or SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21, 2017, and experienced decreased performance. If you had an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, you may also be eligible for the settlement if your device was running iOS 11.2 or later and you experienced diminished performance before December 21, 2017.

Customers have until October 6, 2020, to submit a claim.

Apple's batterygate fiasco was among the biggest scandals in company history. In December 2017, Apple admitted it had been throttling some devices after customers discovered that replacing the battery in an older iPhone boosted its speed, which appeared to be confirmed by top iPhone benchmark developer Geekbench.

While conspiracy theorists had long wondered if battery throttling was intentional on Apple's part in an effort to spur sales of new iPhones, Apple said that wasn't the case - instead, it purposefully limited the amount of power the phone's processor could draw in certain circumstances, like cold weather, to avoid the phone randomly shutting down.

In January 2018, Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the controversy, saying that the company had told customers about the battery feature, but acknowledged that the company could have been more transparent.

Once the issue came to light, Apple was reportedly investigated by France's consumer watchdog group and the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission, and irate customers filed more than 60 lawsuits against Apple, which were eventually consolidated into a single class action suit.

Apple began setting aside money in early 2019 to pay for legal fees and fines it incurred as a result of the scandal, including a $27 million fine from French regulators and a $5 million fine from an Italian watchdog group.