Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

Woman sues Apple over iOS 4 upgrade crippling iPhone 3G

By

iBrickGet ready to hear the phrase “iBrick” more times than you ever wanted to. IPhone 3G owner Bianca Wofford is saying that’s exactly what the iOS 4.0 upgrade did to her phone. Not only that, but Wofford is alleging that Apple conspired to eliminate older versions of the iPhone with the upgrade, encouraging users to buy the iPhone 4.

When iOS 4 was released, Wofford upgraded her iPhone 3G to the platform – and there was no turning back, as Apple does not allow its users to “downgrade” systems, another sticking point Wofford has with the company. The upgrade gave her a phone with a fraction of its former functionality and caused it to repeatedly crash. As she stated through her lawyer, “The true fact of the matter…is that the iOS 4 is a substantial ‘downgrade’ for earlier iPhone devices and renders many of them virtually useless ‘iBricks.’”

Recommended Videos

Wofford should really trademark that word, because she’s definitely not the only one lodging this complaint. Apple’s discussion boards have been brimming with similar criticisms from users for months, all concluding that the iOS 4 is simply incompatible with older versions of the iPhone. Not as many people have indicated that they were tricked by Apple, however – something Wofford’s lawyer made a point to get across. “What better way to underhandedly create incentive to purchase a newer product than by essentially rendering an earlier product useless by the false promise of a software upgrade.”

It’s difficult to accept that Apple intentionally marketed a product that would, in essence, destroy its iPhones – but it’s equally hard to believe that a technical error of such magnitude is possible. IOS 4 was designed to alleviate the issues users were having with previous platforms, Jobs even promised it would.

If found guilty, Apple will have to award $5,000 to all affected users – but the odds of this being settled out of court for an undisclosed amount are pretty good.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Molly McHugh
Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Not getting text notifications on your iPhone? Here’s how to fix it
The home screen on the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

Are you not receiving text notifications on your iPhone 15 Pro or another iPhone model? Concerned about missing important messages? Worry not! You should be able to get things fixed in no time at all.

Read more
It took me 8 months to try out this fantastic iOS 17 feature
The iPhone 15 Pro Max with Standby mode on the Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station.

It has taken me quite a while, but I’ve recently had a chance to try out a feature in iOS 17 that, until now, I had forgotten even existed. I’m talking about StandBy mode, and I feel a bit silly for having passed it by for so long, as it’s really good.

Why haven’t I used it until now? It turns out I just needed the right piece of hardware to come along.
What is StandBy mode?

Read more
Hurry! Get the latest iPhone SE for $149 in Walmart’s Memorial Day sale
Several Apple iPhone SE 3s

Apple is known for making some of the best phones on the market, and a lot of them come with an incredibly high price, which leaves Apple fans who have a more moderate budget out in the cold. Luckily, Apple has created a more budget-friendly entry in its lineup in the form of the iPhone SE, and when the original one came out it was quite a big deal. Since then there have been three iterations, and while they have been steadily getting more expensive, they're still well-priced and are packed with features.

Luckily, there is an early Memorial Day deal that will let you get the latest iPhone SE 3 from Walmart for just $149, although that's tied to Straight Talk. The $149 price tag is significantly cheaper than it would be if you bought it at MSRP, which is a whopping $429, so you're getting well over half off.

Read more