August 21st, 2008
Class action suit filed over Apple’s 3G speed claims
A class action suit has been filed by a Birmingham Alabama woman that accuses Apple of deceptive advertising in their claim that the 3G iPhone is “twice as fast” as the previous model. AppleInsider has more details.
Always referring to the device as the “Defective iPhone 3G,” Smith and her legal team assert that e-mail, text, and most other downloads were considerably slower than what Apple promised. This in no small part stemmed from the reliability of the connection: the device would connect to 3G less than a quarter of the time to 3G even in areas AT&T says should provide “excellent” coverage, according to the lawsuit.
I’ve previously mentioned my problems with the lack of AT&T 3G coverage in my area when their online coverage viewer says it should be “excellent.” However, Since AT&T installed a new tower in my area earlier this month, 3G and GSM reception has been appreciably better. For example, I can now receive phone calls in my house. Obviously, your mileage will vary.
But why Apple? Shouldn’t the suit be directed to AT&T who is providing such poor 3G coverage and support even where “coverage” exists? What about iPhone 3G customers that don’t live in 3G coverage areas that are forced to pay an extra $10/mo to receive the same 2G/EDGE service they had with the original iPhone?
Thoughts on the suit? Does it have any merit?
