Quakester2000 and GristyMcFisty both used our news submit to tell us that Apple is investigating the batteries of their iPod
portable digital music players. The investigation is a result of five
lawsuits, which were filed against the company in December last year. The reason
for the lawsuits are the iPod's batteries. The battery life is not as long
as Apple advertised and besides that, the battery life degrades over time.
In its quarterly financial report to the US Securities and
Exchange, Apple said it had been named in the class action suits and that
it would be looking into the claims alleging "misrepresentations by the
company relative to iPod battery life".
The allegations detailed in the legal action, under
the names Chin, Keegan, Hughes, Westly and Craft, include unfair
competition and claims of false advertising, fraudulent concealment and
breach of warranty, Apple says.
The lawsuits say Apple's claims about the built-in
battery have violated California's competition laws, and that it has
breached the state's Consumer Legal Remedies Act.
Since the end of last year, Apple has offered an
extended warranty scheme which covers iPod owners for an extra year.
It has also provided a battery replacement for
affected iPods, at an extra cost to
consumers.
