If the customer is always right, then Apple could be in big trouble.
Five customers have recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Apple Company for allegedly allowing immoral and unethical practices which violate consumer rights.
The lawsuit came from residents of different states, all owners of iPhone models ranging from 5 to 7. The basis for the charges was that Apple's latest iOS updates gravely inhibited the processing speeds of the popular smartphone's older units.
The company was accused of slowing the units down on purpose — as a marketing strategy — to force the owners of outdated iPhones to purchase newer, more up-to-date models.
This occurrence has already been experienced by many iPhone users, and Apple has long been suspected of doing this intentionally.
The company has released a statement on Wednesday saying that the updates were indeed designed to slow down older units, but only to prevent the devices from unexpected shutdowns.
Apple stated that when the phone has been exposed to prolonged usage, the battery weakens and is no longer capable of supplying the phone with the needed power that the processor requires during peak usage. Such then causes the entire unit to shut down
Chicago Sun Times reported that Atty. James Vlahakis claimed Apple has violated the loyalty of consumers by forcing people spend a lot more money just to buy a newer phone.
"Corporations have to realize that people are sophisticated and that when people spend their hard-earned dollars on a product they expect it to perform as expected," Vlahakis said, adding, "Instead, Apple appears to have obscured and concealed why older phones were slowing down."
The lawsuit states that Apple "needlessly subjects consumers to purchasing newer and more expensive iPhones when a replacement battery could have allowed consumers to continue to use their older iPhones."
The plaintiffs are demanding to be compensated for damages, although the specified amount has not been disclosed.
