Apple sued over faulty iPhones
M. Antonio Silas
Business & Technology Editor
Issue date: 8/27/07 Section: Business & Technology
- Page 1 of 1
While the iPhone may be doing well in terms of sales and popularity in the technology arena, Apple and AT&T were both recently hit with lawsuits regarding the battery usage of the phone.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple nor AT&T informed consumers about the required replacement of the battery and battery life of the phone.
"The phone should live up to its advertisements, said Ashley Iwoha, a senior health sciences major from Pulaski, Tenn. "The fact that the company is not delivering a product that is the best quality gives customers a good reason to sue and I feel that they have a right to do so."
According to ABCnews.com, "(t)he issue is whether or not Apple properly disclosed the problems with battery life," Max Folkenflik, a managing partner at New York-based Folkenflik and McGerity, told ABCNEWS.com.
Folkenflik is one law firm representing the California-based plaintiff Sydney Leung.
"There's a question that [Apple] has naturally raised is whether they designed a battery that requires a replacement in order to generate further profits, and that's something we'll have to take a look at," Folkenflik said.
Currently, Apple's spokeswoman has declined to comment on the issue.
The two lawsuits that have been filed in Illinois and California respectively, both allege that the iPhone can only be charged about 300 times before having to be sent back to Apple to have the battery replaced.
Essentially, this required owners of the device to purchase another battery before their two-year contract from AT&T ends.
Once the iPhone battery is dead, consumers must send the battery to Apple to have it replaced.
This process costs $79, and $6.95 for shipping and handling. The process takes roughly three days and removes all information from the phone.
"I think there should be compensation for the customers because the phone is so expensive," said April Little, a senior health science major from Harriman, Tenn. "What good is a phone if it doesn't work the way it should?"
In the lawsuit filed in a Chicago court, Jose Trujillo of Melrose Park, Ill., is suing the companies for $75,000 in damages.
Legal councils in both lawsuits believe that these won't be the last suits issued to Apple.
Apple made a similar mistake in early 2005 when they had battery issues with the iPod. As a result, they offered customers $50 compensation, as well as $25 in-store credit.
"The phone is very new so maybe customers should keep in mind that things happen," said Sekou Tyler, a senior business information systems major from Knoxville, Tenn.
"But on the other hand before we get so eager to buy something just because it is the latest technology, we should do our research so that we don't end up losing money," he continued.
Apple has until Sept. 4 to respond to the lawsuit.•
The lawsuit alleges that Apple nor AT&T informed consumers about the required replacement of the battery and battery life of the phone.
"The phone should live up to its advertisements, said Ashley Iwoha, a senior health sciences major from Pulaski, Tenn. "The fact that the company is not delivering a product that is the best quality gives customers a good reason to sue and I feel that they have a right to do so."
According to ABCnews.com, "(t)he issue is whether or not Apple properly disclosed the problems with battery life," Max Folkenflik, a managing partner at New York-based Folkenflik and McGerity, told ABCNEWS.com.
Folkenflik is one law firm representing the California-based plaintiff Sydney Leung.
"There's a question that [Apple] has naturally raised is whether they designed a battery that requires a replacement in order to generate further profits, and that's something we'll have to take a look at," Folkenflik said.
Currently, Apple's spokeswoman has declined to comment on the issue.
The two lawsuits that have been filed in Illinois and California respectively, both allege that the iPhone can only be charged about 300 times before having to be sent back to Apple to have the battery replaced.
Essentially, this required owners of the device to purchase another battery before their two-year contract from AT&T ends.
Once the iPhone battery is dead, consumers must send the battery to Apple to have it replaced.
This process costs $79, and $6.95 for shipping and handling. The process takes roughly three days and removes all information from the phone.
"I think there should be compensation for the customers because the phone is so expensive," said April Little, a senior health science major from Harriman, Tenn. "What good is a phone if it doesn't work the way it should?"
In the lawsuit filed in a Chicago court, Jose Trujillo of Melrose Park, Ill., is suing the companies for $75,000 in damages.
Legal councils in both lawsuits believe that these won't be the last suits issued to Apple.
Apple made a similar mistake in early 2005 when they had battery issues with the iPod. As a result, they offered customers $50 compensation, as well as $25 in-store credit.
"The phone is very new so maybe customers should keep in mind that things happen," said Sekou Tyler, a senior business information systems major from Knoxville, Tenn.
"But on the other hand before we get so eager to buy something just because it is the latest technology, we should do our research so that we don't end up losing money," he continued.
Apple has until Sept. 4 to respond to the lawsuit.•
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