Apple this week has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit on allegations of breaking FaceTime on older iPhones, specifically the iPhone 4 and 4S.
Class members will receive a $3 compensation either electronically or mailed. This amount could increase if claimants fail to cash their compensation. Apple has finally agreed to settle after more than three years of complaints.
The class action is defined as all California owners of non jailbroken Apple iPhone 4 or 4S devices with iOS 6 or earlier operating systems.
The class action lawsuit in California accused Apple of intentionally breaking FaceTime on iPhones running older versions of iOS. Apple’s FaceTime service used two transfer methods to send video and audio between devices, the first being a peer-to-peer direct connection and the second through a third party ran by Akamai. This method was more costly than peer-to-peer which Apple later adopted beginning in iOS 7.
The reasoning behind why Apple broke FaceTime was cost cutting measures. By having FaceTime services operated purely by Apple, rather than a third party, saved Apple money in operating costs.
Apple was also hit with a similar class action in Florida which was dismissed by federal court.
