Apple reaches $14M settlement with Canadian iPhone owners over software updates

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Tech giant Apple has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with a group of iPhone owners across Canada, approved by a British Columbia judge, as per a Canadian Press report. 

 

The settlement, totalling $14.4 million, addresses allegations that software updates from Apple caused older devices to slow down.

 

According to lawyer K.S. Garcha, who represents the iPhone owners, class members who submit claims can expect to receive between $17.50 and $150 each, depending on the number of claims filed.

 

The settlement applies to eligible residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, which could reach up to nine million people. The process leading to the settlement took several years, with Apple agreeing to the terms as a "compromise" without admitting any wrongdoing.

 

Garcha described the class-action lawsuit as a "complex matter," involving legal arguments regarding Apple's installation of software on devices without the owners' consent.

 

The original lawsuit was filed in British Columbia in 2018. Apple had previously settled a similar case in the United States, involving the throttling of iPhone 6 and 7 models, with American class members receiving payouts of US$92.