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29th Dec 2017

Apple Officially APOLOGISES For Slowing Down Older iPhone Models Intentionally

Megan Cassidy

Well, well, well. 

Online conspiracy theories about big corporations are a dime a dozen, with many dismissed as quackery. 

But a stopped clock is ri

ght twice a day – and now it turns out that a popular theory about iPhone maker Apple was in fact correct. 

People have long theorised that older models of the iPhone conveniently slow down when there’s a new model released. 

Many believed that this was Apple’s sneaky way of encouraging upgrades to the latest model. 

Well, Apple recently admitted that they do slow older models down, but only in the customer’s best interests. 

A statement released on The Verge said: 

“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.” 

People weren’t convinced, and now Apple has released an official apology for the whole ordeal. 

A statement on their website reads:

“We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. 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. 

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.”

They added that they will also reduce the price of a new battery “for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, starting in late January and available worldwide through December 2018”.

Read the full statement here.

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