Apple is fighting a $2 billion lawsuit in London for 'hiding' defective batteries in millions of iPhones.

LONDON (Reuters) Apple appealed to a London court on Tuesday to block a $2 billion lawsuit accusing the company of hiding defective batteries in millions of iPhones, "choking" the devices with software updates.

The tech giant is facing a lawsuit worth up to £1,6 billion plus interest, filed by consumer advocate Justin Gutmann on behalf of iPhone users in the UK.

Gutmann's lawyers argued in court proceedings that Apple concealed battery problems in certain cell phone models and "sneakily" installed a power management tool that limited performance.

Apple said in written arguments that the lawsuit is "unfounded" and vehemently denies that the batteries in its iPhones are defective, except for a small number of iPhone 6s models for which they opted for free battery replacements.

The company also says that its targeted power management update in 2017, designed to handle the demands of older or low-charge batteries, delivered an average performance increase of only 10% compared to an iPhone 6.

Gutmann asked the London Competition Appeal Court on Tuesday to certify the case and allow it to proceed to trial.

His lawyer, Philip Moser, referred to Apple's 2020 settlements to resolve a class-action and regulatory lawsuit in the United States regarding iPhone battery issues, showing that the company "wasn't saying this never happened."

Apple had also pledged to be "clearer and more direct" with iPhone users about battery health to the UK competition regulator in 2019, Moser said.

The company denies misleading its customers about iPhone battery problems and points to a public apology issued in 2017, offering cheaper battery replacements to resident customers.

Apple's lawyer, David Wolfson, said in court documents that the lawsuit effectively alleges that "not all batteries can deliver the peak power required in all circumstances and at all times," which was common to all battery-powered devices.