Apple has agreed to pay $113 million to settle an Arizona case alleging the big tech company duped consumers by intentionally slowing down older iPhones to entice spending on newer, more expensive models.
The judgment, announced Wednesday, brings closure to the action brought by more than 30 states wherein Apple acknowledged its 2017 software update deliberately sapped the performance of its older devices.
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The payout comes on the heels of a similar class-action in California in which Apple was ordered to pay a much heftier sum of $500 million.
While the company has never acknowledged any wrongdoing, it has issued an apology and agreed to replace batteries at a deep discount.
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As part of its rebuttal in court, Apple argued the throttling practice was meant to help extend the life of the batteries and prevent unexpected shutdowns of the older iPhones as the batteries aged.
But critics countered that the company was sneakily forcing consumers to upgrade to newer models unnecessarily.
The settlement with the states adds to Apple’s bill, which it can easily afford to pay. The company generates $275 billion annual revenue and boasts a market value of $2 trillion.
Information provided by The Associated Press was used to supplement this report.
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