Apple will pay 113 million U.S. dollars to the settlement agreement reached
November 19, according to foreign media reports, California Attorney General Becerra announced on the 18th that Apple has reached a $113 million settlement agreement with 34 U.S. states and Washington, DC. Previously, the company was accused of misleading consumers in the software update of some of the iPhone series, deliberately slowing down the phone to extend battery life.
According to reports, Becerra said in a statement that Apple had concealed information about the battery that would cause the performance of the mobile phone to decline, and at the same time, it also updated the mobile phone system to divert users’ attention. This behavior hurts consumers’ rights and limits their right to know.
The indictment shows that the battery used by Apple in the iPhone 6 and 7 devices is “especially easy” as the phone’s use time increases, and its performance decreases. These two phones are designed to shut down the phone when the battery can’t provide enough voltage to support the phone’s processing needs. This will cause the phone to turn off more than normal as the battery gradually ages.
In order to solve this problem, the indictment shows that Apple has carried out a software upgrade and said it will “improve power management”, but this operation will actually limit or slow down the processing power of the phone. This caused problems such as extended startup time of mobile apps, reduced screen brightness, and reduced speaker volume. The indictment also cited multiple cases where Apple allegedly misled consumers about the true purpose of software updates.
According to the report, the indictment pointed out that Apple did not be honest with users, but chose to misinterpret the nature of the shutdown problem and the solution. It was not until late December 2017 that the media publicly accused Apple of its actions, and the “speed-down door” storm continued to burn, that the company changed its previous decision.
The report pointed out that as part of the settlement agreement, Apple agreed to provide “clear and easy-to-see information” on its website to explain how the company handles battery performance issues; and that user updates to mobile phone system operations will “seriously affect iPhone processing performance” “, provide “clear and easy-to-see notice.”
An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement agreement, but he mentioned part of the content listed in the agreement, that is, “Anything contained in this agreement cannot be considered or interpreted as a violation of (Apple) Laws, rules or regulations, any other facts or legal matters, any recognition or concession of liability or misconduct, all of which Apple has expressly denied. No part of this judgment, including its declarations and commitments, constitutes Apple’s responsibility Evidence of any responsibility, fault or misconduct.”
