In case you haven’t heard, this winter iPhone users around the world received a shocking confession by the popular tech giant. On Dec. 22, Apple admitted to the press that older models of their iPhones were purposely “slowed” in order to support battery life. It’s possible you have experienced a slight delay when operating your iPhone keyboard, or sudden shutdowns during cold conditions. If this relates to you, thankfully now you have an answer and possible solution. Apple revealed that they have been tracking the iPhone’s complications and noted it all came down to one thing: the phone’s lithium-ion battery.
About 26 current lawsuits were charged against Apple’s “deliberate effort” to preserve older phone models. Apple stated, “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.” Their solution to this issue was to formulate a new iOS update which would slow the older models so that they would still operate. Apple claims this decision was not to prompt customers to scrap their old iPhone and purchase a newer one, although it’s possible most people have already done so.
A few users have already experimented with their own slowed iPhones for solutions. They interviewed a Tennessee teen, writing “The issue came to light when a 17-year-old from Mt. Juliett, Tyler Barney’s post on the social media website Reddit questioned why he should have to buy a new iPhone to speed it up.” Barney states he believed a newer update would help his iPhone become a lot faster and operational, but he quickly noticed that after downloading Apple’s operating system iOS 10.2.1., his phone had slowed. Barney then decide to turn to the internet for help, and found suggestions for a battery replacement. Immediately after the switch his iPhone worked better than ever.
Now, the ongoing debate seems to be whether Apple purposely sent the update to cause customers to purchase their latest models, or if they knew the Lithium-ion batteries used were always insufficient to sustain iPhones. Regardless of which stance you may take, if you are currently dealing with a slowed iPhone you can purchase a new battery online or in-store for $79. This price is still expensive for just a battery, and it is possible after these lawsuits Apple may be forced to reduce it, but either way it’s better than purchasing a new phone that would cost you nearly twice as much. Another thing to keep an eye on is how this controversy may affect the future of Apple and it’s loyalty with customers.
Source: USAToday.com
Annika Pickard 
Christian Lengkeek 
Adaelle Stobie