Apple has apologised to customers, weeks after it emerged it was slowing the performance of older iPhone handsets, in order to protect aging batteries.
The firm is also significantly cutting the cost of replacing batteries for iPhone 6 and later models, affected by the managed performance shortfall.
In a message to customers posted late Thursday, the company said it acknowledged criticism over how it communicated the issue to loyal iPhone users.
The company maintained it wanted “customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible,” after suspicions the performance throttling was designed to push iPhone users into updating handsets, rather than replacing batteries.
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“We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologise,” the firm wrote.
“There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making.
“First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”
Chemical aging
Apple once again explained how its process of throttling performance, which began in iOS 10.2.1, can help to prevent unexpected shutdowns. It also says the chemical aging of batteries may be responsible for the shutdowns.
In order to address the customer concerns, the firm is cutting battery replacement costs to just $29, from $79, for out of warranty devices.
It has also promised an iOS update that brings users more transparency over battery health “so they can see for themselves if its condition is affecting performance.”
Does this explanation cut the mustard? Or should Apple let iPhone owners choose whether their performance is throttled? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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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.
