iPhone overheating & network issues: Court orders Apple India to pay customer Rs 45,500 refund plus compensation & legal costs

A district consumer commission in Haryana has directed Apple India to refund Rs 45,500 to a customer over an iPhone 15 that allegedly suffered repeated overheating, Bluetooth connectivity and network problems.

The Rohtak District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission also ordered Apple to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for mental agony and harassment and another Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.

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The order, dated August 7, 2026, came after the commission found that Apple and its authorised service centre had failed to provide sufficient technical evidence to establish that the phone had been tampered with.

Why did the customer complain about his iPhone 15?

According to the commission's order, advocate Rajbir Phogat purchased an iPhone 15 for Rs 64,999 in January 2024.

Phogat alleged that the handset began experiencing problems soon after purchase. These included overheating, Bluetooth connectivity failures and network-related issues.

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He initially approached an Apple authorised service centre, where a customer care executive changed certain settings and assured him that the issues would be resolved. However, the problems continued.

Phogat subsequently contacted Apple's customer care service and, on April 29, 2024, updated the iPhone as instructed. He was reportedly told that the network and call-drop issues would not continue after the update.

The problems, however, persisted.

Customer changed network provider but problems continued

Phogat later returned to the service centre and was advised to purchase iCloud storage. He purchased additional iCloud space for Rs 75 per month from May 31, 2024.

He alleged that this did not resolve the problems either.

He was also told that the connectivity issues could be linked to his mobile network provider. Phogat therefore switched from Jio to Airtel on May 29, 2024, but the issues allegedly continued.

After claiming that the authorised service centre eventually refused to provide further assistance, Phogat approached the consumer commission.

He sought replacement of the iPhone or a refund of the original Rs 64,999, along with compensation for mental agony, disruption to his work and litigation expenses.

What did Apple say about the iPhone defects?

Apple India denied that the handset suffered from a manufacturing defect.

The company argued that the reported problems were linked to unauthorised modifications to the device and therefore were not covered under its one-year warranty.

Apple said its authorised service centre had identified dust particles in the buttons, an allegedly unauthorised rear camera lens and back glass, scratches on the enclosure and an issue involving the rear microphone.

The company also said Phogat had declined to send the phone to a repair centre for further examination after being informed about the alleged tampering.

The authorised service centre argued that the customer had also failed to provide documents proving that the defects existed from the date of purchase or that they had been brought to the company's attention earlier.

Why did the consumer commission hold Apple liable?

The commission examined the evidence submitted by Phogat, including the purchase invoice, screenshots showing failed calls and a June 2024 service job sheet recording complaints relating to network connectivity, overheating and Bluetooth.

It also considered the service records relied upon by Apple and its authorised service centre, which referred to alleged unauthorised modifications involving the rear camera lens and back glass.

However, the commission noted that the iPhone had ultimately been returned to Phogat without being repaired.

The bench comprising president Nagender Singh Kadian and members Tripti Pannu and Vijender Singh further noted that Apple and the service centre had not produced an affidavit from the engineer or technician who inspected the handset.

No expert report or other technical evidence was produced to conclusively establish that the device had actually been tampered with.

Commission says internal service remark was not enough

The commission also examined photographs submitted by Apple but found that they did not conclusively establish the alleged unauthorised modification.

"The photographs produced on record also do not conclusively establish such alleged unauthorized modification," the commission said.

It further held that simply mentioning alleged tampering in a service job sheet was insufficient to establish a breach of warranty.

"Mere recording of an internal remark in the job sheet, unsupported by any independent technical evidence, is not sufficient to discharge the burden cast upon the opposite parties to prove that the complainant had violated the terms of the warranty," it held.

The commission noted that the reported problems had occurred during the warranty period and that the handset was returned without the repeatedly reported defects being rectified.

Apple ordered to pay Rs 45,500 refund

The commission concluded that Apple and its authorised service centre had committed a deficiency in service by refusing warranty service without reliable evidence establishing unauthorised modification.

"In the absence of any reliable evidence proving unauthorized modification, the opposite parties were not justified in refusing warranty service and returning the mobile phone without rectifying the defects repeatedly complained of by the complainant," the commission observed.

However, the commission did not order Apple to refund the entire purchase price of Rs 64,999.

Instead, it directed a refund after accounting for 30% depreciation, bringing the refund amount to Rs 45,500.

Apple must also pay compensation and legal costs

The commission directed Apple India to refund Rs 45,500 with 9% annual interest, calculated from June 10, 2024, the date on which the complaint was filed, until the amount is paid.

Apple was also ordered to pay:

• Rs 5,000 for mental agony and harassment
• Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs

Phogat will have to hand over the iPhone to Apple when receiving the payment.

The commission directed that the order be complied with within one month from the date of receipt of its copy.