Apple's $15 settlement checks for iPhone 4 'antennagate' begin arriving
iPhone 4 owners who filed claims in a class-action lawsuit against Apple over the device's antenna have begun receiving $15 settlement checks in the mail.
The checks began arriving to iPhone 4 owners this week, according to TUAW. One reader who received their check said it took so long to arrive that they had forgotten what it was for.
The iPhone 4S antenna was tweaked to address signal issues that affected some iPhone 4 owners.
Apple reached the settlement more than a year ago, in February of 2012. Members of the lawsuit had the option of receiving either a $15 check, or a free Apple Bumper case.
The class-action complaint drew together 18 separate lawsuits that accused Apple of "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4 ??particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."
The ensuing controversy that erupted after the launch of the iPhone 4 was dubbed "antennagate." Apple quickly responded by offering extended returns or free protective phone cases for a limited window of time.
Apple's fix for the issue was cases because the accessories cover the outer metal band of the iPhone 4, a part that also doubled as the device's wireless antennas. Users discovered that holding the iPhone 4 in a certain way, covering the bottom left corner of the device with their hand.
Last year, Apple issued a statement on the iPhone 4 "antennagate" lawsuit settlement, and revealed that the $15 payments would apply to a "small number" of people. Those who held out for the lawsuit gained essentially nothing, as Apple's original offer to users in 2010 was to give away free Bumper cases worth $29, or nearly twice that of the settlement checks.
The checks began arriving to iPhone 4 owners this week, according to TUAW. One reader who received their check said it took so long to arrive that they had forgotten what it was for.
The iPhone 4S antenna was tweaked to address signal issues that affected some iPhone 4 owners.
Apple reached the settlement more than a year ago, in February of 2012. Members of the lawsuit had the option of receiving either a $15 check, or a free Apple Bumper case.
The class-action complaint drew together 18 separate lawsuits that accused Apple of "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4 ??particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."
The ensuing controversy that erupted after the launch of the iPhone 4 was dubbed "antennagate." Apple quickly responded by offering extended returns or free protective phone cases for a limited window of time.
Apple's fix for the issue was cases because the accessories cover the outer metal band of the iPhone 4, a part that also doubled as the device's wireless antennas. Users discovered that holding the iPhone 4 in a certain way, covering the bottom left corner of the device with their hand.
Last year, Apple issued a statement on the iPhone 4 "antennagate" lawsuit settlement, and revealed that the $15 payments would apply to a "small number" of people. Those who held out for the lawsuit gained essentially nothing, as Apple's original offer to users in 2010 was to give away free Bumper cases worth $29, or nearly twice that of the settlement checks.
Comments
I have no use for a bumper, but $15 will buy a nice sandwich and beer.
I had no problems with my iPhone 4 and took no part of this frivolous lawsuit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob55
I had no problems with my iPhone 4 and took no part of this frivolous lawsuit.
Quite. Big Woop-dee-doo for all the recipients of 15 bucks. You won.
What a waste of time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JollyPaul
"Those who held out for the lawsuit gained essentially nothing, as Apple's original offer to users in 2010 was to give away free Bumper cases worth $29, or nearly twice that of the settlement checks."
I have no use for a bumper, but $15 will buy a nice sandwich and beer.
It's $15, but with a heaping helping of shame. IMO most of those who joined this suit were yahoos, and anyone who actually intends to collect the $15 is likely just a waste of human skin.
The small percentage of people who actually believed in "antennagate" wanted a whole new phone.
Anyone satisfied with $15 is just an opportunist looking for free money IMO.
[I]Yet probably spent that much time reading the article and the responses by this good community. Damn my priorities![/I]
Originally Posted by paxman
You won.
No, they settled. All that matters is Apple didn't lose.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricTheHalfBee
The fact the settlement was only $15 shows how minor the "problem" really was. If it was as bad as the trolls say, then people should have been getting new phones, since their phones, you know, couldn't make calls when you held it in your hands.
Yes, I was constantly getting dropped calls on my iPhone 4.
Settlement is a token payment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pfisher
Yes, I was constantly getting dropped calls on my iPhone 4.
Settlement is a token payment.
Sure you were. Statistics comparing the 3GS to the 4 when it came out showed the 4 had a lower rate of dropped calls than the 3GS did. Apple makes the phone better but people "claim" it's worse. People who had the 4 and weren't happy were allowed to return them. Most didnt.
Only people I saw having issues were those 300lb sweaty palmed slobs who hold their phones with a Vulcan death grip.
Welcome to America. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of lawsuits.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricTheHalfBee
Statistics comparing the 3GS to the 4 when it came out showed the 4 had a lower rate of dropped calls than the 3GS did.
Not according to Apple at the press conference.
Quote:
"Pretty interesting... one more data point. AT&T has given us the early call drop information just a few days ago. They log call drops, it helps them improve their network. So we can't give out the absolute call drop data... AT&T can't release those numbers to their competitors, but we're going to give you the delta." - Steve Jobs
In fact, AT&T had already given out dropped call data a couple of months prior:
Quote:
"Statistically valid drive test shows the AT&T network continues to deliver the nation's fastest 3G network and near best-in-class call retainability nationwide. AT&T's network dropped only 1.44 percent of calls nationwide..." - AT&T
Note that's an AT&T claim of only 1.44 dropped calls per hundred.
Quote:
"Even though we think the iPhone 4 is superior to the 3GS antenna...it drops more calls per 100 than the 3GS. We're being transparent. So how many more does it drop than the 3GS?
This is hard data... the iPhone 4 drops less than one additional call per 100 than the 3GS. Less than one." - Steve Jobs"
So if the previous number of dropped calls for the 3GS was near to AT&T's average claim of 1.44 per 100.., then a "less than one additional" (e.g. 0.9) could've knocked it up to 2.43 calls per 100... a tremendous increase in drops.
The sheer fact that Apple hid what the previous drop amount was, tells us that they didn't want anyone to know it... because then it would be easy to calculate how bad the antenna problem really was.
Quote:
Only people I saw having issues were those 300lb sweaty palmed slobs who hold their phones with a Vulcan death grip.
No obesity or death grip was required. Just a light touch in the wrong spot could do it for people in weaker reception areas.
No, it doesn't work that way. Companies never give the class members much of anything. All the people in the class, for starters, and the lawyers. The settlement is a paid get out of jail card. The class members get a token and the lawyers get a huge payout. The original people that acquired the lawyers and started the case might get more than the rest, but the millions go to the lawyers. It's like a bribe and a token.
Life and liberty are optional accessories only made available to those few who've lucked out with some kind of job that provides more than subsistence level income.
Some of the Apple products I have owned:-
Classic, LC II, Colour Classics (with Mods to PowerPC), LC475, Performa 6320, 5400, 5500, iMac G3 (for my kids) and Mac Mini
PowerBooks 100, Powerbook Duo 270, 2300c, PowerBook 2400c (had to import it), PowerBook G4 12", MacBook 13", MacBook Air 13", MacBook Air 11" (3 in our house now)
iPod, iPod Mini, iPod Nano, iPod Nano (fatboy)
Tablets: Newton 2000, Newton 2100, Original iPad, iPad Mini
Phones iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S
All of which I happily recommended to others from long personal experience ... except the iPhone 4. Wish I'd stuck with the 3GS - calls dropped and mobile internet was so slow and intermittent. If in only happens in poor areas of reception - then most of the UK has poor reception. Added a bumper, and stuck it out.
My favourite Apple device is my current iPhone 4S - not that different. Faster, camera tweaks , but mainly ... it just works.
Ironically, the free bumper I got costs more than $15 and protected the iPhone 4 for nearly 2 years, so a $15 settlement is not even worth writing home about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dysamoria
Life and liberty are optional accessories only made available to those few who've lucked out with some kind of job that provides more than subsistence level income.
I didn't realize jobs were assigned by lottery.
I had an iPhone 4 and experienced antenna problems without a case. I didn't ask for a free bumper case or $15. I just figured that's the chance you take with new technology. Oh well. I'm loving my iPhone 5 now.