Apple Agrees To Pay $113 Million To Settle ‘Batterygate’ Case Over iPhone Slowdowns

A customer compares her iPhone 6, left, with an iPhone 7 at an Apple Store in Chicago. On Wednesday, more than 30 states announced a settlement with Apple over the company’s past practice of slowing down a phone’s battery.

Kiichiro Sato / AP

Apple on Wednesday agreed to pay $113 million to settle consumer fraud lawsuits brought by more than 30 states over allegations that it secretly slowed down old iPhones, a controversy that became known as “batterygate.”

Apple first denied that it purposely slowed down iPhone batteries, then said it did so to preserve battery life amid widespread reports of iPhones unexpectedly turning off. The company maintained that it wasn’t necessary for iPhone users to replace their sluggish phones, but state attorneys general led by Arizona found people saw no other choice.

Apple, the most valuable company in the world, acted deceptively by hiding the shutdown and slowdown issues, according to the court filing.