The two plaintiffs who have brought the case forward say that Apple’s introduction of the feature has two big problems. “This is especially true as there is no warning or disclosure when the phone switches from Wi-Fi to cellular data”. Majority of the features included in the new iOS 9 has received mostly positive reviews and praise from critics and users, but one particular feature has been the center of attention lately with a few users even filing a class action lawsuit against Apple because of it.
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Wi-Fi Assist, which is part of the iOS9 release, is supposed to ensure that users have the strongest internet connection possible at all times.
WiFi Assist works by checking the wireless signal strength; if it’s particularly low, the phone will then automatically switch to a cellular data connection. The suit, which is seeking $5 million in damages, was first reported by the Apple Insider Web site. The option is missing on a few older Apple devices. They accuse Apple of misleading customers and cite California’s Unfair Competition Law as well as the state’s False Advertising Law. A few Apple customers are glad to have the option to stay connected when their signals drop. There you will be able to adjust the “Wi-Fi Assist” toggle.
“I don’t think Apple did anything with ill intentions”, said Kagan. The company recently published an online guide to using Wi-Fi Assist, telling users that the feature may use more cellular data but in most cases having it enabled should only increase data usage by “a small percentage”.
According to Computer World, the plaintiffs of the case identified as William and Suzanne Phillips, asked a San Jose, Calif. Federal judge to make the case a class action lawsuit, which would allow other iPhone users to join the case and sue Apple.
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The majority of global Apple users have large data bundles in place, so would be unlikely to be affected by this, but the lawsuit represents more unwanted legal activity for the tech giant, who refused to comment. The feature doesn’t activate with background downloading of content, or with a few third-party apps that stream audio or video or download attachments. This is a great feature to have for those who have an unlimited data plan, as it conveniently switches from one connection to the other without having to manually turn off Wi-Fi should the connection get unstable.
