Apple to Pay $10 Million in Israel Over iPhone Slowdown Settlement

Nine years after the iPhone slowdown controversy, Apple will pay 10 million shekels (approximately $2.7 million) as part of a class-action settlement approved in Israel. The Tel Aviv District Court authorized the settlement in April, allowing eligible customers to receive compensation of up to 1,890 shekels per qualifying device. An official website has now launched where Israeli iPhone users can check their eligibility and submit an online claim form for individual compensation.

The settlement stems from five class-action lawsuits filed against Apple in Israel during 2017 and 2018. Apple denied all allegations throughout the proceedings, and the approved settlement does not include any admission of wrongdoing. Eligible claimants are those who owned certain iPhone models in Israel, specifically iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE (1st generation) with iOS 10.2.1 or later installed before December 21, 2017, or iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with iOS 11.2 or later before that date. Users can verify their device model via the phone’s settings or the device’s back. Registration requires that Israel was selected as the country in Apple’s system, regardless of where the device was purchased.

The controversy began in 2017 when Apple was accused of deliberately slowing down older iPhone models through software updates to prevent unexpected shutdowns caused by aging batteries. Plaintiffs in Israel claimed Apple concealed that replacing the battery could improve performance and that the slowdown pushed some customers to upgrade to newer models. Apple rejected these claims, stating it never intended to shorten product lifespan or degrade user experience to boost sales, but aimed to extend iPhone longevity.

Judge Hadas Ovadia approved the settlement, describing it as a fair and balanced resolution. Alongside the 10 million shekel payout by Apple, legal fees for the plaintiffs’ attorneys were set at about 2.4 million shekels, with 400,000 shekels allocated to the plaintiffs themselves. The new website enables users to determine their eligibility and submit claims to receive their share of the compensation.