What the settlement provides
Apple has agreed to set aside US$3 million to compensate Argentine users of certain iPhone models whose devices ran more slowly, under a settlement approved by a commercial court. Each qualifying device may receive up to US$40, though the final amount will depend on how many claims are approved. The agreement was approved on 11 August 2026 and its terms were clarified on 24 August. Apple agreed to fund the settlement without acknowledging the allegations or admitting legal liability.[S1][S2]
The case stems from a class action brought by the Asociación de Defensa de los Consumidores (ADELCO) against Apple. The file is before Juzgado Nacional en lo Comercial N° 21 and concerns a performance management feature the company added to versions of iOS to prevent unexpected shutdowns in iPhones with degraded batteries.[S1][S2]
Who qualifies and how to claim
The settlement covers people who lived in Argentina as of 4 February 2020, regardless of nationality or immigration status. It applies both to those who used the devices for personal purposes and for work, and to current or former users. The models included are the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the iPhone SE, the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.[S1][S2]
There are also requirements tied to the operating system installed. For the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus and SE, the device must have used iOS 10.2.1 or a later version. For the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the requirement is iOS 11.2 or later. Another key condition is that the user must have experienced reduced performance before 21 December 2017.[S1][S2]
Claims will be filed through acuerdosmartphones.com.ar, the site set up to implement the court settlement. No exact date has yet been announced for when the claim form will begin operating. Once the procedure opens, users will have six months to submit their application. The form will require personal information and details about the iPhone model used, followed by a validation stage to determine whether the device meets the conditions set out in the agreement. The maximum amount is US$40 per approved device, and one person may file claims for more than one iPhone if several devices qualify.[S1][S2]
The court also allows people to stay out of the settlement. Those who wish to be excluded must notify Juzgado Nacional en lo Comercial N° 21 within 30 business days after the last publication of the notice, as provided by article 54 of the Consumer Defence Law.[S1]
Why the phones slowed down
The dispute concerns a feature Apple introduced to manage iPhone performance as batteries began to degrade. The company's stated aim was to prevent devices from shutting down unexpectedly when they needed to deliver high peaks of power. To achieve this, the system could temporarily limit the performance of the processor and other components.[S1][S2]
In practice, that management could produce effects users noticed, such as slower app launches, reduced scrolling speed, a lower frame rate, dimmer screen brightness or lower speaker volume. Apple later added tools to check battery health and see whether the system was applying performance management measures. These options arrived with iOS 11.3 and allowed the feature to be switched off, although it could be reactivated after another unexpected shutdown.[S1]
The US precedent
The conflict also had legal consequences in the United States. In February 2020, Apple reached a settlement of up to US$500 million to resolve class actions over performance management in certain iPhones in federal and state courts in California. That same year, the company agreed to pay US$113 million to settle a claim brought by a coalition of more than 30 state attorneys general. Among the issues discussed was the information Apple gave users about the relationship between battery condition and device performance.[S1]
In Argentina, the agreement reached with ADELCO now establishes a specific compensation mechanism for users who meet the conditions set by the court. The date the form opens will be the next key detail for those who want to start a claim.[S1][S2]
