Those big fat “Antennagate” settlement checks have begun arriving in the mail. The checks, for the whopping sum of $15 are being sent to iPhone 4 owners who filed claims in a class-action lawsuit against Apple over the performance, or lack thereof, of the device’s cellular antenna.
The checks began arriving to iPhone 4 owners this week, according to TUAW. One reader who received their check said it took so long to arrive that they had forgotten what it was for.
The settlement was reached back in February of 2012. If you were a participant in the lawsuit you had the choice of the $15 check, or a free Apple “Bumper” iPhone case.
The settlement resulted from 18 separate lawsuits that were unified into one. The class-action suit accused Apple of “misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4 — particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software.”
Soon after the release of the iPhone 4, users discovered that holding the device in a certain way, covering the bottom left corner of the device with their hand, would degrade the cellular signal the device was receiving. This was believed to be caused by the device’s use of the outer metal band as an antenna.
The hullabaloo was quickly dubbed “Antennagate” by the media. Apple responded by offering extended returns, or free phone cases for a limited amount of time.
