Apple to Pay Canadian Customers Up to $150 Following iPhone Battery Controversy

A court in British Columbia, Canada today approved Apple's settlement related to the iPhone battery throttling controversy in 2018, according to CBC News.

iPhone 6s MacRumors YouTube
Apple agreed to pay up to $14.4 million (CAD) to settle a class action lawsuit in Canada that alleged the company secretly throttled the performance of some iPhone models. Each affected customer who submits a claim will receive a payment of between $17.50 and $150 (CAD) from Apple, with the exact payout amount to be dependent on the total number of claims submitted. More information on how to submit a claim will be shared on the settlement website, but a specific timeframe has yet to be provided.

The class includes any current or former resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) who owned and/or purchased an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and/or iPhone SE with iOS 10.2.1 or later installed or downloaded, and/or an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus with iOS 11.2 or later installed or downloaded, before December 21, 2017. A serial number will be required for each affected iPhone, according to CBC News.

Apple has denied the allegations described in the lawsuit, and the settlement does not represent an admission of fault. The settlement allows for Apple to avoid the additional time and costs involved with continued litigation.

Apple was sued in multiple Canadian provinces over iPhone battery throttling in 2018, including Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. The cases were filed shortly after Apple revealed that it had started throttling the maximum performance of some iPhone models with "chemically aged" batteries, when necessary, to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down. Apple introduced this new power management system in iOS 10.2.1, but it initially failed to mention the change in that update's release notes, leading to public outcry. Apple eventually apologized about its lack of transparency, and temporarily lowered the price of iPhone battery replacements to $29 (USD) until the end of 2018.

Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million (USD) to settle a similar class action lawsuit in the U.S., and payments started going out in January there.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Prime Day Deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Monday July 7, 2025 10:55 am PDT by
Amazon is back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront. With the event now underway, we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a...

Top Rated Comments

erikkfi Avatar
18 months ago
Apple’s just getting themselves in trouble everywhere these days, aren’t they?

Of course, they never admit fault.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mike2q Avatar
18 months ago

There's no guilt to admit to. Apple can't change the chemistry of batteries. They did what needed to be done to keep the phone working and stable.
They certainly choose the chemistry of their batteries but that's besides the point. They didn't need to throttle their phones for any end user benefits. If you believe they did then a bridge for sale metaphor comes to mind. Other phone manufacturers are somehow able to get by just fine without throttling so defending Apple on this one feels like defending an abusive relationship because you've had some good times together and they didn't mean to hurt you.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ort888 Avatar
18 months ago

They certainly choose the chemistry of their batteries but that's besides the point. They didn't need to throttle their phones for any end user benefits. If you believe they did then a bridge for sale metaphor comes to mind. Other phone manufacturers are somehow able to get by just fine without throttling so defending Apple on this one feels like defending an abusive relationship because you've had some good times together and they didn't mean to hurt you.
This is such an old story that was all hashed out over and over and over again like 5 years ago. Tons of phones had this exact problem... but rather than throttling, they just let them hard shut off. They just didn't make the headlines because they weren't apple and apple gets the clicks.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BryanElliott Avatar
18 months ago

There's no guilt to admit to. Apple can't change the chemistry of batteries. They did what needed to be done to keep the phone working and stable.
I think what most people are mad about is that apple made the choice for the customer to keep the phone slow without letting the customer know WHY and if that were the case they should have given the customer the choice in making that performance/battery life decision and at the very least give us more information about our batteries instead of hiding it from us.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
18 months ago

There's no guilt to admit to. Apple can't change the chemistry of batteries. They did what needed to be done to keep the phone working and stable.
There was a LOT more to it than battery chemistry, but I've run out of steam to drag over it again so you can all ignore reality.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
18 months ago

Apple was pushing for super-thin back then. It had a negative impact on battery life. Phones got thicker again, but now we're returning to thin again, likely because technology has improved.

I don't hold any hard feelings toward Apple trying to keep devices working well. Class-action lawsuits are rooted in selfish victim mindsets.
Someone takes a phone in to an Apple store with a battery problem and instead of telling the customer what the problem was they told them in a lot of cases, You need a new phone.

So the question is, did Apple know what the problem was, before offering this 'fix'? Well lets's see.........

* Apple receive millions of anonymous diagnostic reports when people sync their phones.
* Apple have an official support forum, and although they maintain that no employees actually work there, (no doubt to be able to distance themselves from bad advice), they WILL get feedback about problems.
* Apple have an official online support channel.
* Apple Stores have Genius Bars that report back their findings.
* There are countless other social media avenues that Apple will get wind of problems from, Facebook, Reddit etc.

Are you telling me that you don't believe that Apple, (collectively), lied to customers about what the problem was?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)