People who owned an iPhone in 2017 could be owed hundreds of pounds after a legal claim was lodged against Apple.
Consumer champion Justin Gutmann has launched a £750 million claim against the tech giant over allegations that they forced a power management tool onto older iPhone models.
As reported by Metro, the tools were hidden in software updates and slowed down the performance of older phones.
In theory, they were supposed to stop older iPhones with worn down batteries from suddenly shutting down unexpectedly.
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Older models of iPhone with a few years on the clock may have had trouble trying to run newer versions of Apple's operating software, leading to sudden shutdowns.
However, Gutmann accused the tech giant of not communicating to users that the tool was included in Apple's software updates.
He is claiming that Apple brought in the power management tool to disguise the issues older iPhones had with the demands of newer iOS software.
Gutmann says Apple could have chosen to issue a product recall and attempt to replace the batteries in phones, but instead tried to get users to download software updates.
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His claim filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal is seeking up to £768 million for as many as 25 million Brits who owned older iPhones in 2017.
The phones affected by the claim are the iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
Gutmann's claim works on an opt-out basis, meaning people who might be affected don't have to do anything at the moment if they want to seek damages against Apple.
He accused the tech giant of not 'doing the honourable and legal thing' by offering a free replacement for their iPhone or a repair service to get it back into tip-top condition.
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He also claimed that the software updates slowed down people's devices by up to 58 percent.
In response, Apple released a statement which read: "We have never, and would never, do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.
"Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that."
Apple CEO Tim Cook made a public apology over the incident in 2017 as Apple said it would replace batteries on older phones for a much reduced cost and bring in a feature that allowed users to switch off the power management tools.
Topics: Apple, iPhone, Technology
Joe Harker