Apple has faced criticism over the past few weeks after it was alleged it throttled older devices deliberately in an attempt to get users to upgrade to newer models.
For the first time, Apple has addressed the allegations. Speaking to TechCrunch, a spokesperson for the Cupertino firm said that it wanted to “smooth out” the high power draw peaks which can result in phones being shut down to “deliver the best experience”.
iPhone’s lithium-ion batteries degrade over time, and Apple cannot do anything to halt or slow down this process. In an attempt to improve performance and reduce lag on newer versions of iOS, Apple uses intelligent power management to prolong the life of iPhone and its battery. Although Apple isn’t denying that older batteries will perform slower, it did admit that upgrading to newer versions of iOS will mean slower performance.
“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.”
What are your thoughts on Apple’s confirmation it slowed down older devices to prolong battery performance? Let us know on Twitter using @AppleMagazine.
