iPhone Rebate

iPhone owners in the U.S. could receive up to $500 compensation from Apple, following the settlement of the so-called “Batterygate” scandal.

Apple was accused of using software updates to hamper the performance of certain iPhone models. Although Apple acknowledged the change in performance, it said that it was necessary to preserve older batteries in the handsets. The suit asserted that the motive for the updates was to cause customers to purchase newer and more expensive phones. Apple has never admitted wrongdoing, but is paying up to $500 million in a legal settlement to end the matter.

That now means owners of selected iPhone handsets can qualify for a rebate, which could potentially be as much as $500, but is estimated to be $25. Those handsets are:

1. iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus or iPhone SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21, 2017

2. iPhone 7 or 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later before December 21, 2017

If you don’t quite remember what version of iOS (the software that runs your phone) your phone was running before a set date in December three years ago, so the online claim form is making it easy to check if you have a valid claim. You can either enter your phone’s serial number or your Apple ID and various details about the handset to check if you’re due compensation. Only when all the claims have been submitted will it be decided how much each claimant will receive. However, if the number of claimants is low, the windfall per customer could be as much as $500.