We all knew it was happening - Apple has admitted to slowing down your older iPhones!
The recent admission from Apple that they have been intentionally slowing down older iPhones since the release of iOS 10.2.1 in January 2017 has many users upset. Conspiracy theories have been floating around for years claiming that Apple intentionally makes older iPhones slower to encourage people to upgrade to a newer model, but this wasn’t what they admitted to doing.
The iOS update that started slowing older devices down was in response to an issue users were having with phones that would suddenly shut down. Apple determined phones with weaker batteries were incapable of operating properly under a full load, which was causing them to suddenly shut down.
The 10.2.1 update was designed to examine the condition of the battery on iPhone 6 or older, and when it detected an aging battery, it slowed the processing down to prevent the battery from becoming overloaded and shutting down.
With the release of iOS 11.2, users of iPhone 7 models with aging batteries will be subject to this same slow down.
Source: https://wtop.com/tech/2017/12/apple-admits-slowing-older-iphones-heres-users-can/
WHY is Apple doing this?
Yeah, I'll be the first one to say that Apple admitting to slowing down your older devices sucks and is flat out is wrong. But, this controversy was able to bring a bigger problem to light in the main stream media. The issue of planned obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is a policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts, and the use of nondurable materials.
This is the exact thing your grandparents talk about when they say, "they just don't make things like they used to". Well, the simple fact is they don't. And companies don't make products to last on purpose. The policy of planned obsolescence is extremely prevalent in the technology industry, although no tech company will admit it beyond closed doors.
Planned obsolescence, unfortunately, is a reality that we all have to live with in 2018. As tech companies need to find ways to consistently increase their revenue to please shareholders, while a technology sector plateaus.
Mobile Phones have slowed down in technological advancements year over year. Companies have stopped showing large improvements in their devices year over year, compared to years past. For example can you even see as large of a difference between an iPhone 7 to an iPhone 8. The iPhone 8 has wireless charging, a slightly better camera, and processor. But is that even noticeable or a reason to upgrade - spending hundreds of dollars? Many people say no.
It is my opinion and many others, that the mobile phone sector is a parallel to what happened to the PC market in the early 2000's. We used to see HUGE improvements year over in PC's. Making you go out to by a new one, seemingly every year. But now, you get a computer and it lasts you 5+ years. Why should our mobile phones be any different? My opinion is it shouldn't and won't. You will increasingly see people holding onto their devices for longer and longer as the mobile phone technology continues to level off. Of course, in lieu of a unforeseen breakthrough in technology.
What can you do right now?
Right now you can push back against the policy of planned obsolescence by keeping your old device and replacing the battery! And we are seeing this happen. Apple has come out and apologized for keeping their consumers in the dark, admitting what they did was wrong. And Apple is offering a price reduction in their battery replacements for older devices. This is the first in many steps in the right direction.
However, with one step forward we take a few back. Apple said they would replace your batteries. But you're just lining the pockets of a giant corporation even more! Not only that, but they have delayed this program for months and who know how much longer. So what we have done at Lake Effect Phone Repair is price match Apple's battery replacement program. Offering all of our iPhone battery replacements for just $29.99!
Fight back against planned obsolesce and support local business!
