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Apple agrees to pay iPhone 4S owners $15 for sluggish performance after iOS 9 update

In contrast to its advertisements, the iOS 9 update has significantly slowed down the Apple iPhone 4S in some instances (Image: Auguras Pipiras)
In contrast to its advertisements, the iOS 9 update has significantly slowed down the Apple iPhone 4S in some instances (Image: Auguras Pipiras)
Former or current owners of an iPhone 4S who live in two certain US states on the East Coast may be eligible to receive a US$15 settlement payment from Apple if they declare that their smartphone noticeably slowed down after the software update to iOS 9.

There is a persistent notion among many iPhone users that their smartphone will inevitably slow down and become less responsive when they install Apple's latest and greatest iOS software update. In case of the now-obsolete Apple iPhone 4S, this claim apparently had some truth to it, which is why some disappointed US buyers filed a class action lawsuit against Apple more than half a decade ago.

According to a report by MacRumors, the involved parties have finally come to an agreement six and a half years after the lawsuit was initially filed. As part of the settlement, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker agrees to pay US$15 to previous or current iPhone 4S owners in the states of New Jersey and New York who are or were affected by slower performance after the iOS 9 update. More precisely, affected customers have to declare that they "experienced a significant decline in performance as a result" of the software update. Apple has allocated a total of US$20 million for this settlement.

In addition to the primary issue that the old iPhone actually became slower after the iOS update, Apple's advertisements for iOS 9 also played a crucial role in this class action lawsuit. On its official website, the company claimed that the software update would "deliver faster scrolling, smoother animation, and better overall performance". In case of the iPhone 4S, these promises turned out to be a little bit far-fetched, which may have contributed to Apple decision to agree to the aforementioned settlement payment. In any case, current users of an Apple iPhone 4S might want to explore the possibility of upgrading to a more recent smartphone like a renewed and unlocked iPhone 12 mini, which starts at US$403 on Amazon.

Image source: Apple via MacRumors
Image source: Apple via MacRumors

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2022 05 > Apple agrees to pay iPhone 4S owners $15 for sluggish performance after iOS 9 update
Enrico Frahn, 2022-05- 5 (Update: 2022-05- 6)