Another day, another lawsuit. It looks like Apple’s in hot water for throttling older iPhones. This time, People are filing lawsuits over an idea long believed by older iPhone users. Most have felt that their iPhones have slowed down noticeably with the coming of each new iPhone.
Los Angeles inhabitants Dakota Speas and Stefan Boganovich used Wilshire Law Firm to file the lawsuit on Thursday, December 21. It was filed through the Central District Court California. iPhone users in Chicago, New York, and Northern California have also filed lawsuits. The lawsuit states that Apple failed to disclose that these performance enhancements were even implemented.
The Cupertino company admitted last week that it implemented power management features that actually do slow down older iPhones. Apple states that it has done so to prolong the life of the older devices. In the company’s exact words:
“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.
Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”
Apple implemented the performance management system in iOS 10.2.1 for devices older than the iPhone 7. Apple’s reply seems to be an after-the-fact move and some have suggested Apple’s explanation does not adequately address the slowing of older iPhones. Whether or not Apple actually did this to increase the longevity of these older devices is anyone’s guess.
Though, the company did come out with an announcement yesterday regarding the issue. In the post, Apple explains the aging process of the batteries in our phones. Secondly, the article explains the performance management system and suggests, “in some cases users may experience longer launch times for apps and other reductions in performance.” It even suggests that once an older battery is replaced with a newer battery, performance returns to normal. In an effort to douse the flames and anger currently pointed in their direction, Apple made several concessions:
- Apple is reducing the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement by $50 — from $79 to $29 — for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, starting in late January and available worldwide through December 2018. Details will be provided soon on apple.com.
- Early in 2018, we will issue an iOS software update with new features that give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone’s battery, so they can see for themselves if its condition is affecting performance.
It does look like Apple is trying to be proactive about the situation. Only time will tell on whether or not it’ll help in preventing these lawsuits from sticking. It may seem too little, too late for some. With current lawsuits going forward, Apple will have to work hard to win back former users. Apple expressed that users’ trust is what drives the company forward. As the company put it:
“At Apple, our customers’ trust means everything to us. We will never stop working to earn and maintain it. We are able to do the work we love only because of your faith and support — and we will never forget that or take it for granted.”
Those involved in the lawsuit are requesting that the Cupertino company replaces older iPhones. On top of that they are seeking compensation for several factors. Some include the loss of value and the loss of use. They’ve also asked for compensation for battery replacement on these older devices.
Do you own an older iPhone? Have you noticed a difference in performance lately? Let us know by leaving your comments down below, or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
[button link=”https://www.macrumors.com/2017/12/21/apple-lawsuit-slowing-down-old-iphone-models/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Mac Rumors[/button]
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