Apple customers eligible for payouts from the tech giant’s settlement of a 2018 class action lawsuit have started receiving their money, according to an attorney for the plaintiffs and social media posts from recipients. The distributions are expected to conclude by late January.
Apple is paying this settlement for actions affecting the performance of older iPhone models after an upgrade. It is disbursing between $310 million and $500 million in cash to claimants, each of whom is getting roughly $92. When announcing the payouts on January 8, the plaintiffs’ co-lead counsel, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP, called the fund “the largest all-cash recovery in a computer intrusion case in history.”
There is a catch, however: The people now receiving Apple’s money now had to file their claims by late 2020, more than three years ago. If you didn’t submit a claim by that deadline, you don’t qualify for compensation in this settlement. The settlement website provides more information.
What Was The iPhone Lawsuit About?
Filed more than five years ago, the case alleged that Apple tried to hide battery defects on older iPhone models by prompting users to install an update that slowed down the phones’ performance. According to attorneys Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, roughly 100 million users were affected.
Apple did not admit wrongdoing. Its attempt to appeal the settlement was dismissed by the U.S. circuit court in August 2023.
How Much Will People Get in the Apple iPhone Settlement?
Eligible claimants are receiving $92.17 per device, said Mark C. Molumphy, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, on January 8.
This exceeds “our original estimates, and [is] more than 100% of the claimed damages,” he said.
How Will People Get Paid?
The payments are in cash, according to the settlement agreement, and will arrive via direct deposit into the claimants’ bank accounts.
