Apple Faces Yet Another Class Action Lawsuit Over 'Secretly Throttling' Older iPhones

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A group of 18 individuals have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple this week in a Northern California federal court, accusing the company of "secretly throttling" older iPhones starting in January 2017.


The complaint, seen by MacRumors, refers to the iPhone slowdown saga as "one of the largest consumer frauds in history, affecting hundreds of millions of mobile devices across the globe," adding that Apple intentionally degraded devices as part of a planned obsolescence scheme to maximize profits:

While Plaintiffs and the class need not attribute any motive behind Apple's intentional degradation of the Devices, it is evident that Apple continued to do so for the simple reason most frauds are committed: money.

Apple previously denied any kind of planned obsolescence by flat out stating that it never has and never would do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience, to drive customer upgrades:

We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.

Apple faces over 60 class action lawsuits worldwide over this matter. The first was filed in December 2017, after Apple revealed that it throttles the maximum performance of some older iPhone models with chemically aged batteries when necessary in order to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down.

This latest lawsuit will likely be consolidated with the others in Northern California district court for streamlined proceedings.

Apple introduced the performance management system in iOS 10.2.1, but it did not initially mention the change in the update's release notes. Likewise, in a statement issued a month later, Apple still only mentioned vague "improvements" resulting in a significant reduction in unexpected iPhone shutdowns.

Apple only revealed exactly what the so-called "improvements" were after Primate Labs founder John Poole visualized that some iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 devices suddenly had lower benchmark scores starting with iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 11.2 respectively, despite operating at maximum performance on previous versions.

Apple apologized for its lack of communication in December 2017, and reduced the price of battery replacements to $29 for iPhone 6 and newer through the end of 2018. Apple then released iOS 11.3 with a new feature that enables users to track their iPhone battery's health and performance status.

The performance management system has also been disabled by default since iOS 11.3, and it is only enabled if an iPhone suffers an unexpected shutdown. The performance management can be manually disabled by users as well.

MacRumors put together a list of frequently asked questions and answers about Apple's performance management system, which can be avoided entirely by replacing your iPhone's battery if necessary. Read our guide on how to get an iPhone's battery replaced at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.

The full complaint is embedded ahead…

Naylor et. al. vs. Apple Inc. by MacRumors on Scribd on Scribd

Tags: lawsuit, iPhone Slowdown

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Samsung Expected to Remove Headphone Jack from Galaxy Note 10 as Seen in New Dongle Leak

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Following a few images of the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 smartphone and ahead of the device's official unveiling in New York City next week, leaked images today revealed a new dongle accessory for the Note 10. The dongle is a 3.5mm to USB-C accessory, apparently confirming that Samsung is removing the headphone jack from the Galaxy Note line (via SamMobile).

Image via SamMobile
Similar to Apple's Lightning to 3.5mm dongle, Samsung's accessory is a simple miniature cable that would let users attach a pair of wired headphones into the Note 10's USB-C port. The accessory is believed to come in the box with the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus, and is likely to be sold separately as well.

Samsung began removing the headphone jack in its smartphones starting with the Galaxy A8 line last year, so this wouldn't be too much of a surprise if it happened to the company's main line of Note devices.

Apple itself removed the headphone jack from the iPhone beginning with the iPhone 7 in 2016, a decision that has been met with heated debate online. The trend continued with every iPhone release since, up to last year's iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR devices.

After Apple's decision, Samsung began making fun of the company in numerous ways, including mocking Apple's excessive use of dongles in one of its "Ingenius" ads. During the reveal of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, Samsung executive Justin Denison emphasized that the device came with a headphone jack, mocking Apple.

More information about the Galaxy Note 10 will come out of its full unveiling event next Wednesday, August 7.

Tag: Samsung

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Lenovo joins the party: 4K Core i7 16GB/128GB Yoga Chromebook spotted

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10.2-Inch iPad Said to Launch in the Fall as Successor to 9.7-Inch iPad

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Apple is widely expected to release a new 10.2-inch iPad later this year as a replacement for its $329 entry-level 9.7-inch iPad, and hit-or-miss Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes has now added its weight to this rumor, claiming that the tablet will be released in the "late third quarter."


If accurate, that timeframe means the 10.2-inch iPad would be released by the end of September, suggesting that the device might be unveiled alongside new iPhones at Apple's usual September event.

iPad releases in the fall have typically occurred in October, including in 2012 through 2014 and again in 2018. September would not be totally out of the ordinary, however, as Apple unveiled the original iPad Pro and the iPad mini 4 at its September 2015 event without hosting an October event that year.

It's worth noting that DigiTimes has a rather unreliable track record as it relates to the timing of new Apple products. This week alone, for example, the website published one report saying the 16-inch MacBook Pro will be released in September and another saying the notebook will launch in October.

Multiple sources have outlined expectations for a new 10.2-inch iPad, including reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and the previously-reliable mystery Twitter account CoinX. Apple has also filed several unreleased iPad models running iPadOS 13 in a Eurasian regulatory database, as legally required.

The 10.2-inch iPad would have a modestly larger display than the 9.7-inch iPad, possibly in tandem with narrower bezels.

A reasonable assumption would be that Apple will unveil new iPhones and Apple Watches in September and save the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro, 10.2-inch iPad, and iPad Pro refresh for October, but Apple could always break with tradition.

Related Roundup: iPad

Tag: digitimes.com

Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)

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Nanoleaf Canvas Squares Now Support 'Touch Actions' to Activate HomeKit Scenes

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Nanoleaf today introduced a useful new capability for its Nanoleaf Canvas Smarter Kit, allowing individual Canvas squares to serve as touch controls to activate HomeKit scenes.

For those unfamiliar with the Nanoleaf Canvas, it's a set of light-up panels that attach to the wall or the ceiling, providing accent lighting. The Canvas tiles are touch-compatible and support different touch gestures, which is what enables this new feature.


Touch Actions lets a Canvas light square double as a smart button to activate different HomeKit scenes, such as turning off the lights or getting a bedtime scene ready. Three actions are available for each of the squares, including a single press, double press, and long press.


More than one button can have scenes assigned, so the Nanoleaf Canvas can double as a control panel for all of your HomeKit scenes.


Setting up Touch Actions requires a Home Hub for HomeKit, which can be an Apple TV, a HomePod, or an iPad. Scenes need to be set up, and from there, you can turn Canvas panels into buttons by opening up the Nanoleaf app, selecting My Devices, choosing the Canvas, tapping the gear icon for more settings, and then selecting Touch Actions. It's a little bit complicated, but Nanoleaf has created a tutorial video.


Touch Actions are available today following a firmware update for the Nanoleaf Canvas. The Nanoleaf Canvas can be purchased from the Nanoleaf website starting at $119.99.

Tag: Nanoleaf

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Chrome 76 arrives with sneaky Incognito tweak, PWA updates, Dark Mode tools and more

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'Mac Book' Recommends Surface Laptop 2 in New Microsoft Ad

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Microsoft has come out with a new marketing campaign that features a man called Mackenzie Book (read: Mac Book) explaining why a Surface Laptop 2 is a better option than an Apple MacBook, in his humble opinion.


The 30-second ad consists of a quick-fire Q&A session between a voiceover narrator and the man-Mac himself, who proceeds to explain why he thinks the Microsoft machine beats Apple's notebook in various departments.

"So Mac, which laptop lasts longer?" the narrator asks.

"Surface laptop lasts longer," Book responds.

The actor's answers are accompanied by the text "Mac Book says Surface laptop ... [lasts longer / is faster / has a better touchscreen.]" The latter response is qualified by the narrator with the remark "Oh right, because MacBooks don't have touchscreens."

The ad ends with two thumbs up from Mr Book and his recommendation: "You should get a Surface. Trust me, I'm Mac Book." His sign-off is followed by the tagline, "Mac Book says get a Surface Laptop."

Microsoft and Apple have often taken aim at each other over the years with jokey Mac vs. PC ads. From 2006 to 2009, Justin Long played a Mac computer in Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign, alongside John Hodgman, who played a PC.

The commercials always started out with the tagline "Hello, I'm a Mac," and were some of Apple's most iconic ads, featuring Long as the cool, casual Mac and Hodgman as a stuffy PC in a suit and tie.

However, Microsoft's latest effort is a decidedly left-field take on the man/Mac concept.


Last year, Microsoft released a holiday ad promoting its Surface Go over Apple's iPad, using the tagline "Big dreams need a real computer."

Microsoft's 2018 ad was aimed at Apple's own "What's a Computer?" ad campaign, which began in 2016 and showed off some things that the iPad Pro can do as a replacement to a traditional laptop computer.

Microsoft released the Surface Laptop 2 in October 2018 and is expected to launch refreshed Surface Pro and Surface Book models later this year.

Tag: Microsoft

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