For years, Apple users have been speculating that older iPhones tend to slow down when newer models come in the market.
However, this time Apple has accepted that the older models are slowed down eventually to prolong their life. They claim that it is for a good cause – to enable phones to run smoothly, without shutting down.
As batteries tend to get older, they are incapable of running as smoothly on the higher upgrades and may tend to shut down at random. To prevent this, Apple decreases the performance of the battery to save from these situations.
According to the Daily Mail, several tech analysts have shared evidence proving the same. Processing power of older models is limited automatically once battery life begins to suffer.
The shutdowns are caused when iPhones hit peaks of processor power that the battery was unable to power – causing them to simply shut down.
However, users are feeling betrayed as they claim it is done in an attempt to force users to upgrade to the latest model.
The firm has come under fire for not being more transparent about the software update, or explaining to users when it happens.
They believe Apple should provide them with a heads up when their batteries have reduced in efficiency, rather than slowing down the processor on its own.
According to Tech Crunch, Apple said:
“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.”
Some users have reported that replacing the battery restores the performance to its original capacity.
Another reason users are feeling betrayed is that Apple has conveniently hidden this fact from them for so long. Every time Apple launches a new handset people seemingly flock to Google to ask why their current iPhone or iOS is slow.
This trend has been seen every year since Apple released the iPhone 3G in 2008.
Apple is being accused of planned, or built-in, obsolescence. By doing this Apple ensures that people keep flocking to their newer models thinking the older one has reduced in performance.