SALT LAKE CITY — The state of Utah has reached a settlement with Apple over a 2016 decision to throttle iPhone speeds to address a battery issue in the popular phone.
In a multi-state settlement worth $113 million, Utah will receive about $1.5 million, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection said.
"Based on the multistate investigation, the attorneys general allege that Apple discovered that battery issues were leading to unexpected shutdowns in iPhones. Rather than disclosing these issues or replacing batteries, however, Apple concealed the issues from consumers," Utah's Division of Consumer Protection said in a statement Monday.
"Apple’s concealment ultimately led to a software update in December 2016 that reduced iPhone performance in an effort to keep the phones from unexpectedly shutting down. The attorneys general allege that Apple’s concealment of the battery issues and decision to throttle the performance of consumers’ iPhones led to Apple profiting from selling additional iPhones to consumers whose phone performance Apple had slowed."
In addition to the money, Apple will provide more truthful information to consumers about iPhone battery health and performance, the agency said. Apple will disclose the information on its website, in update installation notes and the interface of the phone itself.
Apple has also been involved in a class action lawsuit over throttling, paying out a half-billion, the Division of Consumer Protection said, declining to comment beyond the settlement announcement. The money from settlements goes into a state-controlled fund.
