Rathores blog

              



Apple has been hit by a class action lawsuit in Brazil for releasing the 4th generation iPad, which the plaintiffs claim has made the 3rd generation iPad obsolete.
The group behind the lawsuit, led by Institute of Politics and Law Software (IBDI), claims that releasing the iPad 4 just seven months after the iPad 3 launch rather than following the usual annual product release cycle, amounts to “planned obsolescence” that harms customers who purchased the iPad 3.

The institute claims that the iPad 4 is not effective technological evolution [as compared to] the iPad 3 or ‘New iPad’, characterizing what sort of “planned obsolescence”. In practice, the accusation is that the Apple iPad 3 could have reached the shelves with the characteristics presented in the fourth generation – a processor, a connector and a camera a bit more advanced.

The group further alleges that the iPad 4 launch wasn’t effectively communicated to buyers, who ended up buying the older iPad 3 in the period between the announcement and the actual launch.
The lawsuit demands free replacements for iPad 3 buyers, a reimbursement of 50 percent of the original price of the device and a fine amounting to 30 percent of the total value of iPad 3 units sold in the country.
While there had been some outrage following Apple’s decision to update the iPad line within just seven months, it is the first time we’ve heard Apple getting sued for it. Apple did exchange iPad 3 bought within the 30-day window before the announcement for newer iPads in the US, but doesn’t seem to have done something similar in Brazil.
News of the lawsuit follows Apple’s unsuccessful attempts to gain an exclusive trademark over the “iPhone” brand in Brazil. Presently, the “official” iPhone that sells in Brazil is actually an Android phone by a local manufacturer.
Do you think a newer iPad makes older ones obsolete? In my opinion, a truly obsolete device would be one that’s not only outdated but has stopped getting software updates as well.