KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Apple issued an apology on Thursday for a "misunderstanding" over a practice the company uses to slow down iPhones in order to extend battery life.
Multiple iPhone owners have sued the company for the maneuver saying it allegedly is a way for Apple to get people to pay more.
"We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize," the company said in a statement on its website. "There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making."
Apple promised to lower the price of replacement batteries from $79 to $29 and offer software later next year to address battery health.
The announcement came after lawsuits were filed in December by multiple iPhone owners in various states.
The lawsuits allege that Apple violated consumer fraud laws by offering a software update that would slow down older iPhones and allegedly force owners to have to buy a newer version.
Apple responded to the claims on Thursday and said the update was intended to extend battery life and prevent unexpected phone shutdowns.
"First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades," the statement read. "Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that."
Controversy over the lawsuits has spread to the metro.
At Mobile Revive in Westport, a staff member told 41 Action News that the store has seen an increase in battery replacement requests since the lawsuits came down.
"In the last week, we've seen a big influx just because of the media coverage," explained manager Jaime Enriquez. "Their main concern is, 'Is Apple cheating me out of my money?'"
Enriquez said customers have asked plenty of questions in regard to the Apple controversy and have paid for replacement batteries.
"They'll let me know, 'My phone is dying pretty fast. It's slow. It's dying all of a sudden,'" he explained. "When you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a phone, you want to what exactly you're paying for and why you pay for it."
Moving forward, Enriquez expected the case to benefit cellphone consumers.
"They (Apple) are not doing this for your money. They're doing this so your phone can last longer," he explained. "I think (the controversy) makes them (consumers) more aware of what they buy."
