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LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS OR A LITIGIOUS SOCIETY? Apple classifies an iPhone 6 Plus, part of the 2016 Batterygate class-action lawsuit against the company, as obsolete and it cannot be updated
to iOS 15. But owners who participated in the suit have not received any money from Apple even though it was settled in March 2021. AARP “When these cases are originally filed, such as when
Apple was accused of knowingly slowing down older devices, there’s definitely a ton of frustration,” says Senior Editor Eli Blumenthal of CNET, one of the most popular digital technology
magazines. “Yes, people want some accountability from these companies.” In 2016, iPhone owners were justifiably outraged over what has been dubbed Batterygate, Blumenthal says. People
thought Apple was throttling their phones so owners would pay for a newer model. Both Apple and Samsung, the target of other lawsuits, declined to comment for this story. About 2.3 million
claims for compensation were approved after Apple settled the case for at least $310 million in March 2021 without admitting wrongdoing. It agreed that the smallest payout would be $25 per
device. But as of May 2022, any payout to consumers is still hung up in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Some filers are objecting to the lawsuit’s legal fees, which could total $88
million, _Forbes_ magazine reports. “After six years, people move on,” Blumenthal says. Apple now considers the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the oldest models that were part of the
Batterygate lawsuit, obsolete and too old to be eligible for its latest operating system updates. BE A LITTLE SKEPTICAL OF ANY CLAIMS If you receive a notice to join a class-action lawsuit,
how do you know it’s not a scam? The biggest red flag is being asked to pay to join the plaintiffs, Blumenthal and Hardy say. “If you get one of these notifications and you are interested, I
would pause, look up and see if there are any news articles about this,” Blumenthal says. “Know that these companies do have to reach out to people about these suits, so you should be able
to quickly verify if it’s authentic.” Top Class Actions lists all authorized small and large settlement administrators, Hardy says. If it’s not on the site, it might not be legitimate. _Marc
Saltzman is a contributing writer who covers personal technology. His work also appears in _USA Today_ and other national publications. He hosts the podcast series _Tech It Out _and is the
author of several books, including _Apple Watch for Dummies_._