Finally, Samsung has settled the class-action lawsuit it has been dragging since 2014 when the Galaxy S4 came out. Testers had revealed that Samsung cheated on benchmark tests as they added code that detects if a benchmarking app was running on the app and if it did, ran the phone at a faster speed so that it read 532Mhz instead of 480Mhz in terms of clock speed.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was being marketed as a fast performing device but this revelation found it to be misleading to consumers.
Samsung never denied using this hack and argued that it was not legally obliged to inform users it has embedded code that allowed it to cheat. The Korean tech giant said that it only has to make security issues public.
Companies have been using this method to adjust their systems to provide better results as in this case of Volkswagen who was caught doing the same thing. The Dieselgate or Emissionsgate scandal has been going on since September 2015. A settlement was made in the USA in late 2016 but the German company faces a mammoth diesel lawsuit in their home country as the judge rejected their plea to settle.
Back to Samsung, the company has agreed to settle the lawsuit for $13.4 million with $2.8 million put into a settlement fund and $10.6 million in injunctive relief while the lawyers get $1.5 million for their years during this lawsuit.
How to get your $10
Tech site The Register reports that the 10 million people who bought the flagship device in 2013 should expect emails informing them of the settlement and that they’ll be receiving $10 but they’ll have to apply for it through a link provided in the email.
Good luck everyone!
