[Update: $92.17 Payout] Apple iPhone Class Action Lawsuit – Get Estimated $25 Per Device

Update 1/6/24: These claims from 3+ years ago are finally getting paid out. Lots of readers report getting a $92.17 deposit in their bank. It sounds like they ended up paying out $92.17 per claim. I guess they ended up having too much money so they increased the payout from $25 to $92.17 (?). You can search your email for Confirmation@smartphoneperformancesettlement.com to see if you filed a claim and which payment method you chose.

Update 7/28/21: Looks like the device settlement is still under appeal, so this might actually be from the facetime class action. Hat tip to @TopClassActions

Update 7/28/21: Reader Claire reports getting a $6 printable check for this claim. It’s not clear why the $25 estimate didn’t materialize.

Update 10/2/20: Reminder that October 6th is final day for making a claim.

Update 7/16/20: A lot of people having issues finding the serial number on an old iPhone. They added a feature which allows you to find your serial number within the class lawsuit site; hopefully that helps some. Here’s another helpful tip.

iPhone Class Lawsuit

Direct Link to Apple iPhone Class Lawsuit

In a class action lawsuit against Apple, Plaintiffs claimed that a performance management feature introduced for iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, and SE devices in iOS 10.2.1, and introduced for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices in iOS 11.2, diminished the performance of some of those devices. Apple denies all allegations and is entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Apple.

Submit a Claim Here

Who Is Eligible?

You are a member of the Settlement Class if you are or were (1) a United States owner of an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and/or SE device (2) that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later or, in the case of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices, that ran iOS 11.2 or later before December 21, 2017. You must meet both criteria to be a member of the Settlement Class.

Apple will provide a cash payment per eligible device (calculated as set forth below) to each Settlement Class Member who submits a timely and valid Claim Form including a serial number of an eligible device and a declaration under penalty of perjury stating that they are or were:

1. a United States owner of an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and/or SE device
2. that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later or, in the case of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices, that ran iOS 11.2 or later before December 21, 2017, and
3. they experienced diminished performance on the device(s). Please see Question 10 for additional information.

To receive a settlement benefit, you must complete a valid Claim Form that includes, among other things, your name, mailing address, and an eligible iPhone serial number for an eligible device.

How Much We Get

Apple will provide a cash payment of approximately $25 per eligible device, provided that Apple will not pay more than $500 million in aggregate to the Settlement Class Members. If the total value of approved claims submitted exceeds the $500 million Ceiling, the value of each approved claim (per eligible device) will be reduced on a pro rata basis. Additionally, under the proposed settlement, if the total value of approved claims submitted by Settlement Class Members does not exceed the $310 million Floor, the value of each approved claim (per eligible device) may be increased on a pro rata basis, up to a maximum of $500 per device. For more details, please refer to the Settlement Agreement available by clicking here.

Important Dates

• October 6, 2020 — Claim Forms Must Be Submitted Online By This Date (or Received By This Date if Submitted By Mail)
• December 4, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. PST — Fairness Hearing

Final Thoughts

For some context:

• iOS 10.2.1 was released January 23, 2017
• iOS 11.2 was released December 2, 2017
• iPhone 8 was released September 22, 2017

So, for iPhone users, assuming you didn’t update to the new iPhone immediately and assuming you keep your phone version relatively up-to-date (and assuming you aren’t using a model older than the iPhone 6), most people will be eligible to make one claim or more, depending on how many iPhones you’ve had over the past number of years.

They do make it a bit of a pain to file a claim since you’ll have to find the serial number of the old iPhone which you may not have any longer. Hopefully the payment will be at least $25 and it’ll be worth hassle of digging through old records or perhaps contacting Apple to get the info. Here’s instructions from Apple on how to find the serial number when you don’t have the phone.

Note, however, the terms stipulate that you are only eligible if you noticed diminished speed. I’d think most people at some points have felt diminished speed; they can’t expect us to know whether the diminished speed was due to this lawsuit issue or some other issue, so I’d guess that would be good enough to file a claim. But there are likely some people who were always happy with their device performance and are not eligible.