Five Americans sue Apple for slowing down iPhones

Apple has been sued in the US for slowing down iPhones with outdated batteries. According to the five US citizens, Apple is violating state and regional laws by misleading customers into buying new iPhones when the old ones could have worked better.

According to the indictment, Apple acted misleadingly, immorally and unethically in violation of consumer protection laws. The Chicago Sun Times quoted the indictment as saying, “Apple is pushing consumers to buy new and more expensive iPhones when a battery replacement could have allowed them to continue using the old iPhone.” The complainants claim damages from the manufacturer. It is not known how much money they demand.

The indictment follows Apple’s confirmation last Wednesday that it slows down iPhones as the battery ages. The feature is in iOS 10.2.1 for the iPhone 6, 6S and SE and in the iPhone 7 in iOS 11.2. According to Apple, the measure should prevent iPhones from failing if the processor demands too much from the battery. It was the first time Apple has come out about the feature. Apple was forced to confirm the claims after Geekbench scores showed iPhones with new iOS versions scored lower and users reported that their iPhones got faster after replacing the battery.