Brits could receive payout over iPhone batteries as Apple is accused of ‘throttling’

If you're a Brit who has complained about the dwindling battery life of your iPhone, listen up.

Apple is facing a lawsuit that could force them to cough up some compensation due to its allegedly defective batteries.

Consumer champion Justin Gutmann launched the class action on behalf of about 24 million iPhone users in the UK.

He has accused the tech giant of 'throttling' customers' gadgets without their knowledge.

Apple allegedly concealed issues with the batteries of several iPhone models; the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7, and 7 Plus.

The lawsuit claims the firm installed a power management tool on these devices through software updates which limited performance.

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Gutmann alleged that Apple took advantage of its market dominance in the UK, while consumers paid the price.

He claimed people were effectively forced to pay for either either replacement batteries or brand new handsets due to the fault.

The US company has branded the case 'baseless' and tried to get it thrown out, but the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled that it can proceed on Wednesday (1 November).

An Apple spokesperson: "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."

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The tech firm has vehemently denied any batteries in its iPhones were defective - bar a few 6S models, where customers were offered free battery replacements.

It previously admitted slowing down the performance of some older devices with ailing battery lives.

But Apple insisted it was necessary to protect its components.

Gutmann is seeking damages of up to £1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) plus interest, with the midpoint range being £853 million.

If the lawsuit is successful, Brits who owned impacted models could be entitled to compensation for each of them.

Cue everyone raiding their houses to find their old phones.

However, the CAT said the case lacked some 'clarity and specificity' which needs to be ironed out before a trial begins.

Apple previously forked out £93 million ($113 million) to settle a similar case in Arizona, as well as £413 million ($500 million) for another in California.

LADbible has contacted Apple for comment.

Topics: Apple, Technology, UK News, iPhone

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_