Yes, Some Maine Residents Really Are Getting Checks From 'Apple'

If you are a longtime iPhone user, there is a good chance that you recently got an unexpected check in the mail.

Did you get one and think it was part of some kind of elaborate scam?

WGME did some investigating and found that a legitimate organization had sent the checks to those affected by the lawsuit.

The article explains that the checks are the result of a class-action lawsuit filed against Apple in 2020. The lawsuit accused Apple of using software updates to slow down or shorten the battery life of some older iPhone models. This was allegedly done as a tactic to get users to purchase new phones at regular intervals.

Rob Hampson via Unsplash

If you got a check in the mail, there is a good chance that you submitted a claim in 2020 to be part of the lawsuit. Considering the length of time it took for a settlement to be reached, it shouldn't be a surprise that you filed for it and then completely forgot about it. The article goes on to explain that these types of class-action suits often take years to litigate. This one was not fully settled until November of 2023.

If you did sign up to be a part of it, you are not alone. The article says that more than two million people submitted paperwork to be a part of the lawsuit.

The article explains that as part of the settlement, Apple agreed to pay at between $310,000,000 and $500,000,000, depending on the number of claims submitted.

The website for the lawsuit says, in part:

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed the last remaining appeal in the In re Apple Inc. Device Performance Litigation, and the Effective Date of the Settlement occurred on November 5, 2023. Distribution commenced on January 5, 2024. Payments are being sent on a rolling basis, and distribution is expected to conclude at the end of January 2024.

Get all the details about the lawsuit HERE.