Two new lawsuits are result of Apple admitting it slowed down iPhones

A recent report claimed that Apple was intentionally slowing down iPhone models well into their life cycles based on historical benchmark numbers. This was a common rumor about iPhones that supposedly got customers feeling like their phones were acting slow and could use an upgrade.

On December 20, Apple openly admitted that it did this to compensate for degrading batteries and that it was a “feature” found in iPhones since the iPhone 6. Now, Apple is facing two class-action lawsuits alleging that the company was intentionally and deceptively slowing down its phones so that users would buy the latest model, thus bringing more profits for Apple.

A law firm in Chicago claims that Apple is in violation of business laws by partaking in deceptive business practices in the state of Illinois, and thus also in Indiana and North Carolina. Apple’s slowing of these phones without telling customers is “deemed purposeful, and if proven, constitutes the unlawful and decisive withholding of material information,” according to the lawsuit’s press release.

There’s another lawsuit from California that wished Apple would have given users the choice to either accept Apple’s recommended slow-down or opt out.

Apple has a PR nightmare on its hands, and if these lawsuits are successful – we wonder if Apple will get a slap on the wrist and hit with a fine or if it will have to somehow give compensation for its practices.