Items tagged with throttlegate
It's time for Apple to face the music [again] when it comes to “throttlegate”, which came to a head nearly three years ago after it was determined that the company was throttling the performance of iPhones that had chemically aged past a certain threshold (usually around 80 percent or below original capacity). Once Apple was caught red-handed, it apologized, issued the iOS 10.2.1 update with Battery Health functionality, and started offering battery replacements on its iPhones for a low $29. Unfortunately for Apple, that wasn't the end of the matter. Over the summer a number of states -- spearheaded by Arizona -- decided to action against Apple for anti-consumer practices...
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Friendly reminder that if you were planning to participate in a proposed $500 million settlement with Apple over reduced iPhone performance, you now have less than a week to do it. The deadline to submit a claim (or multiple claims, depending on your situation) is next Tuesday, October 6. Any claims received after that date will not be eligible for any benefits under this particular settlement. The settlement stems from what has been unofficially referred to as "throttlegate," in reference to the discovery that Apple was slowing down the processor on some iPhone handsets with older batteries. If taking Apple at its word, this was intended to "deliver the best experience for customers." Here is...
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Over the years, Apple has found itself in hot water over some of its business practices. One of the most significant problems Apple in recent memory was the so-called "throttlegate" or "batterygate" in 2017. Apple was caught slowing down the processor of iPhones with older batteries, leading many users to replace a device, thinking it was defective rather than replacing the cheaper battery. Apple agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit initially filed in 2017 on behalf of owners of impacted iPhone devices earlier this year, and affected users can now file for their share. The class-action lawsuit accused Apple of secretly throttling older iPhone models. Eligible iPhone owners are beginning to...
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Earlier this month, Apple issued its first revenue guidance revision in over a decade in part due to soft iPhone sales. Apple placed most of the blame on weakness in the great China area, which was compounded by the country's trade war with the United States. But China isn't the only reason for the revenue shortfall. The wounds were also self-inflicted by way of Apple's battery replacement program that was announced in late 2017. To appease customers after it was discovered that the company had been throttling iPhone performance (due to underperforming and worn batteries) without properly informing users, it reduced the price of battery replacements for iPhones from...
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It looks as though not all is well in Cupertino. In a rather odd and rare break from Apple’s usual cadence with respect to its earnings releases, CEO Tim Cook posted an open letter to investors this afternoon to state that it has revised its revenue guidance downward for the December quarter (fiscal Q1 2019). When Apple issued it fiscal Q4 2018 earnings report in early November, it forecasted revenue of between $89 billion and $93 billion for fiscal Q1 2019. Now, however, Cook is warning that revenue will come in at right around $84 billion. That is a shortfall of $5 billion at the low end and $9 billion at the high end of Apple’s previous guidance. Whichever way you look...
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Here's a friendly PSA if you own any recent iPhone. Apple's [reduced] cost iPhone battery replacement program is ending a week from today, December 31st. If you recall, Apple dropped the price of its battery replacement to a flat $29 (out of warranty) after it got caught throttling performance of iPhones whose batteries were not performing at optimum levels. Apple's reasoning for the throttling was understandable, as the company explained in an open letter to customers around this time last year: Device use also affects the performance of a battery over its lifespan. For example, leaving or charging a battery in a hot environment can cause a battery to age faster. These are characteristics...
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After Apple fessed up to implementing a mechanism that automatically and covertly throttles iPhones with degraded batteries, the company extended an olive branch to angry customers by offering to replace batteries of iPhone 6 and later handsets at a reduced cost, and to do so no matter what condition they were in. Many iPhone owners took Apple up on the offer. So many, in fact, that waits times to have the battery replaced are now approaching two months. Normally the cost of a battery replacement for an iPhone 6 or newer handset runs $79. However, Apple slashed the price all the way down to $29 and did not put any restrictions on battery health. So, anyone with an iPhone 6 or newer handset who...
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It’s not often that Apple previews an upcoming iOS release, especially a point release, outside of major events WWDC. However, the circumstances regarding recent events surrounding performance throttling with worn batteries on older iPhones has forced Apple's hand somewhat. So today, Apple is giving us a preview of what to expect from iOS 11.3, which is set to be released to the public in March. Let's get the big one out of the way first: iOS 11.3 will now show your current battery health, and even recommended if your battery needs to be serviced. This is an upgrade from the current battery metrics available, which only include percentage of battery life remaining, the ability to enable...
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Apple created quite the firestorm when it was revealed that the company was throttling the performance of iPhones with older and "well worn" batteries. The company wasn't upfront about the practice, and it only came to light due to some sleuth work by customers and app developers. Now, Apple CEO Tim Cook says that customers will be given the choice to disable processor throttling in a future iOS update. At first, Cook tried to explain the reasoning behind throttling in the first place, telling ABC News' Rebecca Jarvis in an interview: And so you can imagine if you’re making an emergency call or you’re making an important call that’s important to you or a message that you’re...
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Apple angered many of its fans when it finally admitted that it had been throttling devices with older batteries. Apple said that the slowdown was to keep devices with batteries that are older and have lost performance from shutting down prematurely. Eventually Apple decided that the way to appease customers was to offer significant discounts on replacing the old batteries in some devices with a price decrease down to $29. Apple is now facing a potential inquiry from House Republicans who want answers from on its throttling policy. Four of the U.S. House Republicans, including the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook on Friday. The letter asks Cook...
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Apple today has clarified its policy regarding battery replacements on iPhone 6 and newer smartphones that are affected by performance throttling in iOS. Apple acknowledged last month that once battery performance deteriorated below a set threshold, performance would be throttled in certain situations to avoid unexpected device shutdowns. Apple's secrecy surrounding the practice is what truly embroiled the company in controversy (and made the company subject to class-action lawsuits), so it slashed the price of battery replacements for the iPhone 6 and newer devices from $79 to $29. However, there has been some confusion as to how "worn" a battery has to be qualify for a replacement. Earlier...
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Apple has moved quite swiftly to implement its new pricing policy for iPhone battery replacements. Last week, Apple announced that it would be slashing the price of in-store battery replacements for the iPhone 6 and newer devices from $79 to $29. This move was one of a few steps that Apple has taken to appease customers that were upset over the revelation that it throttles the performance of older iPhones with significant battery degradation. The new pricing is already in effect at most of Apple Store locations across the United States, with a company spokesperson stating, “We expected to need more time to be ready, but we are happy to offer our customers the lower pricing right away. Initial...
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