Apple admits to deliberately slowing older iPhones

If you have an older Apple iPhone and think it seems to run a bit too slow, you’re on to something.

The widely believed theory that the company intentionally slows down older iPhones is true.

And Apple has admitted to it.

The tech giant issued a rare statement this week, saying that it has used software updates to limit the performance of older models that may have battery issues, which the company says could cause the phones to turn off suddenly, according to CNN Money.

Customers have long-suspected – and reported – that the operating system updates have, in turn, caused their older iPhones to slow drastically, with some suggesting that the company does it as a tactic to get people to buy a new phone.

However, Apple says it is done solely because of the old batteries.

The company said the performance of lithium-ion batteries degrades over time and can cause phones to suddenly shut down to protect its components.

Apple said its iOS 11.2 software updates for the iPhone 6, 6S, SE and 7 are designed to “smooth out” peak power demands, prevent these surprise shutdowns and ultimately prolong the lifespan of the older batteries.

But, as many know, these updates often lead to low speeds.

Doron Myersdorf, CEO of instant-charging battery startup StoreDot, told CNN Money the “smoothing out” means that phones will reorder incoming commands to make sure they’re not all done in parallel.

“The inevitable outcome of it will be an inherent slowdown of the average response times by the system,” he told the outlet.

Apple’s statement about the slow-downs to The Verge earlier this week:

“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.”

So what to do if this happens to you?

Tech experts say that replacing an older iPhone battery could be the best – certainly a less-expensive – option, rather than buying a new iPhone. Apple charges $79 to replace an iPhone battery that’s no longer covered under warranty.

And while $79 isn’t necessarily cheap, it’s a lot less than a $700 iPhone 8.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Apple admits to deliberately slowing older iPhones."