Apple’s controversial iPhone CPU throttling tactic – designed to protect ageing batteries from unexpected shutdowns – continues to cost the company.
After offering cheap battery replacements for iPhone owners, the company has now pledged rebates for customers who paid full-price before the discounted rate kicked in.
Anyone who handed over full whack for the replacement (on an iPhone 6 or later during 2017) can get a $50 credit, provided the replacement took place at an authorised service provider.
It’s not a full refund, because those out of warranty replacements cost $79. However, it does bring these iPhone owners in line with the $29 replacements currently being offered throughout 2018.
Related: iPhone X review
When Apple answered questions from the US Senate earlier this year it had promised to do something about those customers who’d paid up before the discount came into play.
The company then said we are “exploring this and will update you accordingly.” Now that update is here.
Apple’s move comes after it emerged the company had been slowing down iPhone models when the batteries approached the end of their lifecycle.
The company claimed this tactic was only deployed to guard users from unexpected shutdowns caused when the activity was too much for these old batteries.
However, it led to accusations the company was attempting to force users into buying a new iPhone when a new battery would have restored performance.
In order to negate the problem in future, Apple added a new Battery Health feature in iOS 11, where users can check on their battery and choose whether they want to endure performance throttling.
There’s been a supremely high demand for the battery replacements at the reduced rate, with some customers having to wait weeks for an available appointment at their local Apple Store.
Did the CPU throttling incident shake your faith in Apple? Or do you fully believe the company’s explanation for the practice?
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Editorial independence
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.
