Apple will face trial in iPhone 'Batterygate' Lawsuit in the UK, can’t throw out case says court

Apple’s attempt to have a mass lawsuit dismissed, alleging that the company used substandard iPhone batteries, has been denied by a UK judge. The lawsuit asserts that Apple used software updates to deliberately slow down the performance of iPhone operating systems in an effort to conceal the defective batteries.

Apple has vehemently denied the allegations, labelling the lawsuit as “groundless” and lacking merit. Contrary to the claims that millions of iPhones were impacted, Apple asserts that only a limited number of iPhone 6 models had flawed batteries and that the company offered free battery replacements for the affected iPhone 6 units.

The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has ruled that the lawsuit may proceed. However, the court noted a “lack of clarity and specificity” in the lawsuit, which must be addressed before the case proceeds to trial. This decision was documented in a court filing released on Wednesday.

The lawsuit, initiated on behalf of 24 million iPhone users, alleges that Apple installed faulty batteries in various iPhone models, including the 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7, and 7 Plus. It further claims that Apple’s software updates were specifically designed to conceal the inadequate batteries and “throttle” the performance of these iPhones. The suit contends that Apple misled consumers by failing to deliver the quality product they had paid for, potentially resulting in damages amounting to $2 billion.

Apple has reasserted its position, maintaining that the claims in the lawsuit are unsubstantiated. A spokesperson for the company told Reuters that Apple has never intentionally sought to diminish the lifespan of any of its products or undermine the user experience to encourage customers to upgrade their devices.

It’s worth noting that in 2018, the US Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission initiated an investigation following reports that Apple was intentionally slowing down older iPhones through unnecessary software updates. In response, Apple reduced the price of battery replacements for iPhone 6, 6s, and 6s Plus from $79 to $29 and committed to not intentionally hindering the proper functioning of iPhones.

This legal action in the UK follows Apple’s agreement to a $500 million settlement in the United States related to accusations of intentionally slowing down older iPhones. Affected consumers with iPhone 6, 7, and SE models began receiving compensation payments in August.