It is said that the common characteristic of capitalists is that it is easy to swallow money, but it is difficult to spit out money, especially for companies like Apple, where the prices of basically all products and services are higher than those of other competitors, and they will not throw money out unless they have to.
This is why I was extremely surprised after seeing this Weibo hot search today......
*Image source: Weibo hot search
It's rare for the words "apple", "indemnity", and "arrival" to appear at the same time.
What's going on? Can you get this money? Is it possible for Apple to continue to "send money"?
Next, I will tell you about it.
The arrival of the compensation this time is actually the dust of the "battery gate" that caused a stir a few years ago.
Apple's battery gate began in August 2016, when many Apple users reported that their Apple phones would suddenly lose power and shut down, and the phones that encountered this problem involved multiple models, especially the Apple iPhone 6s.
In response to this part of the complaint, Apple initially promised to replace the battery to protect the normal use of consumers.
But as more and more Apple users are troubled by the lack of battery, everyone finally found out the problem - Apple secretly manipulated the system.
In December of the following year, a large number of U.S. users filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Apple of "deliberately reducing the performance of older iPhones."
To put it simply, Apple reduces the power consumption of the CPU through software updates, so that the old battery does not have to output too much power like the new battery, according to Apple's official statement, this practice can slow down the aging rate of the battery and extend the life of the battery.
But this will inevitably reduce CPU performance, and it will also cause the device to become stuck, some people think that this is obviously changing the way to force users to change to a new machine!!
I have to say that Apple knows how to make money.
Objectively speaking, if you really want to extend the battery life, you should also leave the decision in the hands of the user himself, so that they can choose whether to use the fluency or the battery life.
Or at least the need to notify the user in advance that the system update may cause the running speed to slow down, rather than secretly reducing the energy consumption without saying a word, and let the user realize that he has been pitted.
No, after being discovered by the American people who advocate freedom and rights, Apple can be regarded as kicking an iron plate.
U.S. users have filed class action lawsuits in courts in California and other districts, alleging that Apple added this restriction in iOS 10.2.1, which affects iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE.
But Apple vehemently denied it at the time, insisting that it "has never done and will never do anything to deliberately shorten the lifespan of Apple products or reduce the user experience to drive product upgrades." ”
As for the remedy, Apple will reduce the cost of replacing the battery of out-of-warranty models, and the cost of replacing the battery will be reduced from 608 yuan to 218 yuan (it can be seen that Apple's battery replacement service is profitable!), and the cost reduction time will be from January 2018 to the end of December 2018.
Just a few hundred dollars of fees, and the duration is only one year, Apple's sincerity is naturally difficult to convince the public, and it has not been able to get back the forgiveness of all class action users.
It wasn't until three years later that Apple finally agreed to settle the lawsuit with $500 million in damages. Later, the payout plan was put on hold due to two users who objected to the signing of the settlement terms and appealed.
In August 2023, a U.S. court rejected the appeals of the previous two users, clearing the last hurdle for the "Batterygate" settlement compensation, which means that Apple is ready to pay for its own "atonement".
No, at the beginning of 2024, the "New Year's red envelope" given by Apple has finally arrived, and according to the screenshots posted by American users, each mobile phone will pay about 92 US dollars (about 658 yuan).
*Image source: Social platforms
I believe you want to ask, do our domestic users have money to get?
The answer, of course, is no, because the lawsuit was filed in the US, only against US users, and it also needs to be claimed by October 2020, and one claim can be filed per device.
Sure enough, the noisy child has candy to eat. Many domestic users also laughed at themselves, "We have the ability to adapt".
*Image source: Social platforms
It is very rare for mobile phone manufacturers to pay direct compensation to users, especially for brands with a large user base like Apple, and it can be seen that mobile phone manufacturers have a sense of crisis by throwing money so generously.
On the one hand, this is because of the awakening of users' awareness of rights protection, and on the other hand, because the competition between mobile phone brands is getting more and more volatile, and Apple needs to bow its head at the right time in exchange for more favorability.
After all, there is no innovation in products, and the trend of consumption downgrade is spreading all over the world, so that everyone has less and less motivation to buy and replace mobile phones.
The concept of large models that have recently become popular has also attracted a number of manufacturers to enter the game, even if no one has run through a stable realization path, everyone's billions of funds are still said to be invested, which shows everyone's anxiety, and even some media said that manufacturers are suffering from "pleaser".
Personally, I think that "flattery" can be said to be not only for users, but also for technology and products.
For users, it means to improve the quality of services, respect the rights of users, protect the rights and interests of users, and make up for mistakes in a timely manner when they are pointed out, just like Apple spent money to "atone for its sins" this time.
As for the product, it means that the product deficiencies should be found in time, and corrected and upgraded in time, so that the brand can go long-term.
At the end of writing, I would like to say that if Apple really has the heart, does it have to give some compensation to Chinese users?
Resources:
Wired Insight: "The more consumers don't change their phones, the more "volume" mobile phone manufacturers are?
Fast Technology: "Netizens Discuss iPhone Battery Gate Compensation Arrival: Chinese Users Are Too Kind to Apple"