Apple has finally responded to reports claiming that the company is throttling the performance on older models of iPhones.
The company confirmed that it was altering the performance of selected iPhones which have worn out batteries. Apple says the alteration is aimed to “smooth out the instantaneous peaks”, Hindustan Times reported citing TechCrunch.
Here’s full the statement from the smartphone giant:
“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.”
The statement confirms the theory that the latest iOS iteration is slowing down some older models of iPhones. But it certainly does not prove conspiracy theories that Apple is doing so to force people to buy a new iPhone.
It is worth noting that the smartphone companies controlling CPU performance is not a new phenomenon.
In case of battery life, an alteration makes a lot of sense as well. Also, Lithium-ion batteries have a limited life span and they do degrade over a period of time. What Apple is doing here is balancing worn out batteries with custom optimisation.
According to Apple Insider, the level of throttling depends on the state of battery as well. And customers who get their batteries replaced will see the problem resolved.
Battery life has been a major pain-point for iPhone users, though, how much you can squeeze out of the battery depends on your usage pattern. Moreover, external factors such as extreme weather conditions can also affect battery life.