A class action lawsuit in the USA could see owners of some older iPhone models receive a portion of a half a billion dollar settlement.

Phone owners may recall tech giant Apple was accused of slowing down the functions of older iPhone's. In its defence, Apple explained that it was actually slowing down performance at certain peak times to prevent what it described as a risk of 'sudden battery shut downs' caused by aging batteries on the devices.

Some media coverage suggested the slow down was to motivate owners to buy a newer model, something Apple maintained was not true.

In the United States, CNN News is reporting that Apple will now have to pay up to half a billion dollars to settle a class action lawsuit over this issue.

Under the proposed settlement agreement, CNN says Apple would have to pay owners of specific iPhone models, $25 for each affected iPhone.

CNN says that's according to the documents from the US District Court in San Jose, California. It says the amount each IPhone owner receives will depend on how many claims are filed.

Meanwhile, the iPhone owners in the United States that can file settlement claims include those who owned an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus or SE (Special Edition) device bought before December 21, 2017.