Apple has suggested that performance throttling won’t be necessary on newer phones such as the iPhone X and iPhone 8, thanks to hardware improvements that allow for “more advanced performance management”.
The Cupertino-based company has been in all kinds of bother lately, after it was revealed that it knowingly compromised older iPhones by adding performance-throttling features to iOS updates. The devices affected include the iPhone 6, 6S, 7, and SE.
Its rationale was that this was necessary to avoid random phone shutdowns related to older battery components, but Apple’s protestations have largely fallen on deaf ears.
Now, in response to questions raised by a US Senate Committee letter, Apple has hinted that performance throttling could be a thing of the past – without offering any more concrete assurances.
Asked whether it would be releasing a “similar software update…for newer phone models,” Apple proffered that:
“[The] iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models include hardware updates that allow a more advanced performance management system that more precisely allows iOS to anticipate and avoid an unexpected shutdown.”
This all sounds well and good, until you remember that Apple not so long ago said it would add this controversial form of “support” to “other products in the future”. The company appears to be changing tract slightly now, but we won’t really know until post-iPhone 7 models start collecting dust.
Related: MWC 2018
Whatever the case, the letter hinted at some good news for affected Apple customers, since it also said that iPhone battery replacement rebates were being actively looked at.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.