Apple sued in EU over iPhones that wear out too quickly

By Stephanie Bodoni

Apple is facing lawsuits in several European countries seeking about 180 million ($217 million) over misleading claims about the battery life of older iPhones.

A group of five European consumer organisations filed class-action suits in Belgium and Spain and plans to sue in Italy and Portugal as well, Euroconsumers said in an emailed statement Wednesday. The lawsuits concern users of iPhones 6, 6 Plus, 6S and 6S Plus.


The lawsuits mirror US cases over claims that the company misled consumers about iPhone battery power and software updates that slowed the performance of the devices. Apple last month agreed to pay $113 million to settle a case with multiple US regulators while customers are seeking approval from a US court for a class-action settlement that could be worth as much as $500 million.

The group sent a cease and desist letter to Apple in July, asking it to stop a practice that allegedly forces users to install updates which then slow down their phones.

Apple said in a statement that it would never “do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.” The Financial Times previously reported on the European lawsuits.