Apple Targeted By Class-Action Lawsuit Over iPhone Slowdown

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two law students in California filed a class-action suit Thursday against Apple after the company revealed it purposely slows down older iPhone models in an effort to make them last longer.

Apple said in a statement that it slows down older phones because batteries in poorer conditions might not be able to provide the power needed to run the phone's processor at full speed, leading the iPhone to abruptly shut down to protect its internal components.

In their lawsuit against Apple, University of Southern California law students Stefan Bogdanovich and Dakota Speas claim they "suffered interferences to their iPhone usage due to the intentional slowdowns."

The law students also argue that because of the intentional slowdown of older phones, they “did not receive what they paid for and were overcharged by [Apple].”

Bogdanovich and Speas say they suffered damages because of the policy, including having to replace old iPhones and purchase new batteries. They also claim that their iPhones were bought with an "implied contract" that Apple would not interfere with their phones or bring down their value. Because Apple slowed the phones down, the suit alleges, the value of the phones decreased.

Colin Jones, the lawyer who represents Bogdanovich and Speas, said in a statement to Patch: “What Apple is doing is simple not fair to iPhones users and is a betrayal of their trust. Consumers who save their hard-earned money to buy an iPhone deserve a device that works, and not just until the newest model comes out.”

Court papers also say that Bogdanovich and Speas are trying to get their suit to cover all people in the United States who owned an Apple phone older than the iPhone 8.

Apple did not immediately return request for comment.

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