Update uproar
While Apple continues to build on its following, a new class action suit against the firm has accused it of deliberately slowing down the iPhone 3G with the iOS 4 update in a bid to get users to upgrade to its new handset.
The software upgrade saw many iPhone 3G owners moaning about the speed and reliability of their trusty phone but while iOS 4.1 alleviated some of the problems, Apple did not fix the issue completely, according to Gigaom.
Bianca Wofford, the lead plaintiff, reportedly said the update turned her iPhone into an ‘iBrick' making it completely unusable due to its speed and propensity to crash...and the update would not have added all the functionality of iOS4 to the phone anyway.
The complaint was filed at the Superior Court of California and reportedly says Apple rolled out the update that would cripple its older phones on purpose.
"Since the release of iOS4 in conjunction with the sale and release of the fourth generation iPhone, or the iPhone 4 in June 2010, Apple has falsely, intentionally and repeatedly represented to owners and consumers of the iPhone 3G that its new operating system for the device, iOS4, was of a nature, quality, and a significant upgrade for the functionality of all iPhone devices, when in fact, the installation and use of iOS4 on the iPhone 3G resulted in the opposite - a device with little more use than that of a paper weight," it reads, according to the website.
Wofford said this view is backed up by Apple's decision to not allow 3G customers to downgrade their OS back to the old (faster) version, without resorting to using hacks and thus voiding the phone's warranty.
In short, she reportedly accused Apple of using the tactic to force 3G users to upgrade to its newest model. To solve the dispute, Wofford is said to want ‘the return of Apple's ill-gotten gains' and damages from its alleged false advertising and breach of consumer laws, for all plaintiffs involved in the case.
While it is undecided as to whether the claims are accurate, Apple will no doubt want to make the case disappear pronto to preserve its reputation. The iOS 4.2 update is also due out shortly and could possibly help iPhone 3G owners out too.
