Apple admits to slowing down older iPhones as the battery gets weaker

facebook is an insane battery hog ... removing it improve the life of both the battery .....................and the user

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Richmondthefish

The real issue is lack of disclosure from Apple. If the hardware is design to slow down with age it's needs to be disclosed to end users.

I'm actually surprised it's taken this long for this to come out.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Photato

IMO Apple is not doing anything wrong. This is similar to what Laptops in Windows have done for many years with power/battery management.
The real issue here is that unlike Laptops or Cameras, or Cars, iPhones have been designed with a sealed battery that need to be serviced by professionals with the inevitable down time and risk of damaging the weather seals.
Apple is hypocritical about being environmentally responsible given that this issue limit the life span of iPhones to its batteries.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

The fact that most phones are constantly on, or in use, makes the slowdown more noticeable. Also the fact that the difference was immediately noticeable after an iOS update.

It would have been far better to offer customers a choice of whether they wanted to implement a battery saving protocol (just as low power mode is a choice). Instead they deliberately and noticeably made their product less useful when a major selling point is high performance.

Apple didn't do this out of the goodness of their heart. There's something in it for them. How many 100K customers have already purchased a new iPhone because they sensed a performance drop and figured it was time to upgrade?

For me, I spent $1000 on an iPhone 6 Plus so I could keep my unlimited data plan. Both my phone and my data plan are of less value if my phone is deliberately slowed down.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

It's evident Apple misjudged a portion of their customer base. Myself and many others would prefer to charge their battery more often (or eventually get the battery replaced) than have the phone be crippled (and therefore be forced to consider replacing the battery or phone).

If it walks like coercion and talks like coercion, it's probably coercion.

The only real reason I have to stay with Apple at this point is I live 21 miles out of cell range. I can't SMS over wifi, but I can iMessage family members without a cell signal, which is great.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Richmondthefish

+Photato They did do something wrong. They didn't disclose that iOS 10.2.1 would implement changes that would intentionally slow down the phone to fix the shutdown of the older iPhones. The end user should know that information before applying iOS 10.2.1

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Photato

Can't wait for the Apple iCar, it will feature a sealed hood to make the body look seamless.
Artificial Intelligence servers in the cloud will monitor the condition of the oil and slow down the engine as the oil age but customers can leave their iCar at the Apple store for a week to have the oil changed with genuine Apple Oil for a reasonable $100 or simply upgrade to the iCar 10+.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Just so you know, automobiles already adjust their engine performance based on the fuel in the system.

Enjoy your day.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Photato

Fortunately Automobiles are mostly open systems and you can easily put any gas, oil or battery in there, all end user changeable.
However iPhones have sealed batteries and this is at the root of this problem.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

That, and a self-serving 'profit-centric' as opposed to 'customer-centric' policy.

Did this happen on earlier models of iPhone or iOS? I would guess not, or this would be old news by now.

It's a bit damning that this occurred without upfront disclosure.

Back to the automobile analogy, it's like putting a governor on the drivetrain that limits top speed once the car reaches a certain age or the fuel tank is low... 'to protect components from internal damage or avoid unexpected shutdowns'.

None of us would put up with that.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

@Photato

Then change the battery.

From what I've been reading the slowdown happens when the battery is almost kaput anyways.

I really don't see the problem. And if it is such a huge problem having Apple change the battery then the consumer bought the wrong device in the first place.

Again, the slowdown happens when the battery should be replaced.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Happening the day immediately AFTER an iOS upgrade? And on a workmate's phone exactly the same.

It's possible the battery may need replaced. But it's disturbing that I had no inkling of that prior to upgrading. All smooth sailing up to that point.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Reactive

Just bought my wife a Moto G5. You could buy EIGHT of them for the price of a single iPhoneX. Full HD 5" screen, dual SIM, micro SD card expansion, user replaceable battery (ahem!), headphone socket (ahem!), fingerprint scanner, standard USB charge socket, stock Android (no Samsung style bloatware). I'll always be confused why anybody buys into Apple.

Dec 28, 2017*permalink

Stevess

Isheep...

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Just bought my wife a Corolla. You could buy EIGHT of them for the price of a single Bentley. Four Tires, Windscreen, dual seat memory, CD player, user replaceable battery (ahem!), headphone socket (ahem!), FOB, standard USB charge socket, stock Android & Apple. I'll always be confused why anybody buys into Bentley.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

brightncheerful

To counteract her elderly iphone's slowing, I have suggested my wife use it at a snail's pace. Problem solved.

Dec 28, 2017*permalink

zodiacfml

Translation: iPhone sales are down this year and iPhone X sales are lower than expected

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Stevess

As expected!

Dec 29, 2017permalink

azinheira

That is the reason I never got the Iphone. I had LG V10 now have the LG V 20 and I Can upgrade the memory cards and I have extra batteries with me so i'm not charging my phone all the time, as a result my phone works great since the beginning, so far no issues.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

kay bryan

Is the same thing true for three year old Ipads? Mine has slowed down drastically.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

pgb

Others are reporting this too.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

mais51

Had some problems with the Home button on my "almost 2 years old" iPhone 6S, took it to Apple to have it replaced - they did it for free under warranty and also replaced the battery. Asked why they replaced battery the answer was "for product improvement". At the time I though they may have a new kind of battery - now I know they did it because a 2 years old battery would not cut it.

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

Death89

Microsoft did the same to my Lumia 930 a year and a half ago. It was barely over a year old and had no battery problems but I guessed they felt it was better to spend a few $ and make the customer happier than not to.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Bad news, very similar happened to me on Samsung Galaxy S4 mini but with battery.

Old battery lasted 5 hours, neither did reach 100%. So I bought a new original one, charged it and was happy to have used for more than 48 hours. Mobile had been renewed.

But I wondered what could happen if I managed to trick the phone by turning it off before charging new battery again. Turned it off, put old battery, charged it (it took 6 hours to charge it, reached 100%).

Now, I am using it with this result: 78% battery left after 9h 39min with 38% screen on... for an old battery, that lasted 5hours max.

Far away from the 5h it used to last. Incredible but true.

Is that the reason why new battery phones are not removable?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

poohduck

I rebuild all our phones with cyanogen mod or some such. Old batteries still get memory issues. It is the same with cameras. One trick is to try and run the battery empty, really empty - playing a video loop or music.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

https://phys.org/news/2013-04-memory-effect-lithium-ion-batteries.html
http://pocketnow.com/2013/05/03/li-ion-batteries-memory-effect

Thanks poohduck.

Sorry to say that complete discharges (and long time on charger full charges or either re-re-charges) are not good for Li-Ion Li-Po batteries. This kills them.
It is an old true rule for Ni-MH or Ni-Cd, not for ion ones.

I'm using modded ROM and rooted device. The thing is that after having used a new battery (detected new capacity by system maybe?) the 3 year old battery lasts more (5 hours standby before and now 14 hours standby + 4 hours on screen, browsing, chatting, installed some apps and still 24% left.

Software could take this into account and recalibrate batteries by itself. I remember a Pentax Kx firmware update and how it pushed up battery lasting time. Sure it can be done with mobile phones.

Dec 28, 2017*permalink

poohduck

The newer batteries still have this issue, and can still be fixed by partial charge and full drain. And, the memory effect does stuff up the software that shows how much charge is left. So, as you say, the new battery has reset things. The 2nd link is probably the easier.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Boky

You have removed the contact resistance (when you placed the new battery into a mobile phone), between the battery contacts and the phone contacts... that's all. This is why the old battery now works better.

Use hard rubber eraser and rub the old battery contacts until they get shiny. it will perform like new again.

Dec 30, 2017*permalink

poohduck

I know with past cameras and phones, this didn't work for me (cleaning the terminals). I actually clean camera battery terminals after every charge (I have 2 batteries for each camera, and charge them out of camera). I have experienced similar to martinpalatsi above. I've also experienced a new battery acting the same as the old with one camera, even though the new battery was a recently manufactured at the time. That camera wasn't worth me testing yet another battery, so it's possible the new one was no better. Researching it at the time, it seemed to be a common problem with that and other cameras (from 10 years ago?), many thinking it was a built in obsolescence ala apple style. I discovered the total drain solution, accidentally, with a relatively new phone, which is when I researched the memory effect on newer batteries.

Dec 30, 2017permalink

(unknown member)

I just got a new phone in December after about 3 years of using an Apple i-phone. There were a couple of things I realized I wanted:
1. User-Replaceable battery
2. Micro SD card to increase capacity

In the end I got an LGv20, reduced by 2/3 because the new V30 model had come out. Awesome phone... Goodbye Apple!

Dec 27, 2017permalink

i consider the ability to mount SD a cellphone historical given, attacked to,increase purchase cycles [256 gb i2 99 bucks usd on sale]
an absolute necessity on any phone i would consider,
On the issue of murdering the dependable worldwide standard of the audio jack?not because a better connector has come along, but to serve the endless greed and lies from the likes of apple and google, is equally troubling, no one who actually makes high end audio proposes killing this standard used in over 99% sets USB,or apple connector to replace it? courage? its corporate strategy.period

the diminished prospect of crappy bluetooth sets that need constant charging slavery [ 4 times in a 24 hour period is typical] and using idiotic dongles to connect what use to be easy and straightfoward ... is the worst form of corporate devotional idiocy

the lg 20 is a great phone ... in some ways better than the 30 [ ive read from links here at dpr]

enjoy it in good health thru 2018 and beyond

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

It’s all about making informed decisions that are right for you.

I’m cloud centric so local storage is not a big issue (that and my device has 256 gig) and carry a power pack in my messenger bag for the times I’m away from a recharging location which is not often.

My biggest concerns are speed, stability, quality of apps and privacy.
I feel iOS is superior than Android in these areas. I personally use no Google services. Email, Cloud storage, Office Apps is all MS. For Photography I use Lightroom CC.

Point is, choose what works for you.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

(unknown member)

Hi ScanSpeak: I agree with you.
I was on the horns of a dilemma on the apps issue, because Apple do vet theirs and Android apparently not. In the end I went for Android, but I use MS Outlook for email, and very few (and NO social) apps. I also put Norton Internet security and their VPN on my phone. I don't allow any program that uses my microphone or camera.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

+1
Removable batteries should be a must by polution law statements.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Legacy options are on their way out. You guys are beating a dead horse. You can rant "conspiracy theory" if you want, but phone manufacturers are not going to spend time and resources to include things like a replaceable battery and SD-slots for the very, very few people that use it.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

hundreds of millions use SD & headphones! [facepalm] calling SD cards or audio port legacy is PURE nonsense. Its used by virtually 100% of wired headphones on planet Earth. [you should visit some time]
You seem to be parroting nonsense spewed by yellow pundits for apples disinfo campaign, for motives of profit and control. Courage? lol, no, its greed & contempt & hubris.

FYI, here's one def. of a legacy device: [pay attention]
"A legacy device refers to a computing device or equipment that is outdated, obsolete or no longer in production. This includes all devices that are unsupported or no longer commonly used by most devices and software applications."
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/2230/legacy-device

both sd cards and headphones with a normal connection are, far & away, the most embedded standards for storage & listening. they actually are the opposite of legacy. Dont confuse applethink \ corporate obedience with technological freedom of the rest of humanity.

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

if you are actually interested in using the term legacy correctly think of a nikon non ai lens or a canon fd mount lens .
manufacturers have moved away from mounts that use and effectively focus these lenses [and others] however special connectors that correct the distance for proper infinity focus and allow the mechanical mounting IS
taking something unsupported and repurposing it on modern bodies

also consider parallel ports or serial connectors in computing... as they also dont enjoy modern usage so they ARE actually legacy connectors.

Ports used [ audio] or memory standards [SD ] used, that is, without question, [ or competition ] most popular as of 12\27 2018
are known as, ...well :

STANDARDS

something i dare say the world could use more of ....not less of!

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

(unknown member)

Well, speaking for myself, the features I chose work for me, but each to their own. I have no intention of going to a store to pay money to put in a replacement battery when the time comes. Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge Apple are the only company that sabotages the performance of their phones under the pretense of protecting them.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

this id what happens to your stock price following the exposure of questionable corporate behavior
https://screenshots.firefox.com/DJ1U0UMuH8CDCL56/www.google.pl

Dec 27, 2017permalink

It's not their product. I paid for it. Slowing down my $1000 iphone when I paid that money to get the fastest/best available at time of purchase is flat out wrong.

How would any user possibly think "My phone just got much slower, but I know it;s in my best interests. Thanks for looking out for me Apple"?

You know what if... If my phone were to break, explode, die, I'd happily purchase a new one. Until that point, Apple should leave their hands off of it and allow me to enjoy the performance of the product I paid for.

This will make me think thrice about buying an iPhone again.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Also... if I did not experience a performance slowdown with my iPhone 6 Plus prior to implementing this practice (and I did not), then Apple just essentially wrecked my phone, as opposed to improving my user experience.

They're big fat liars, plain and simple.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

You're right. Enjoy your two hour battery life.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

It just cracks me up how people like you rant about the nefarious behavior you believe Apple is doing. The reality is people like you will complain not matter what. You expect your phone to perform like new for years as if time, wear and tear, etc.. do not exist.

Apple is in a no-win situation with people like you.

Had Apple done absolutely nothing, you would criticize Apple for your 3+ year old phone to only last a few hours after charging. Hence, Apple is purposely creating a short battery life, forcing you to upgrade.

Apple implements battery-saving tech so your old phone can last longer by slowing down the CPU so a dead battery doesn't wreak havoc on your phone. Hence, Apple is purposely attempting to force you to upgrade to a new phone.

So please, enlighten us all here. Can you please post a scenario where you don't blame Apple for something?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Gmon750:

I submit you don't know people like me because YOU don't know ME.

Yes I can post a scenario. Very simple. Here it is:

"Apple, I expect my phone to die sooner or later at which point I'll purchase a new phone or pay to have the battery replaced (probably the former). Since I bought into the iOS ecosystem It'll likely be another iPhone. I won't blame you when it dies. I expect it to wear out just like a pair of jeans or an automobile."

I'm unhappy they degraded my phone that was working perfectly fine.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

As the battery ages...it wouldnt be working just fine. Talk about missing the point.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

pgb

My experience with aging batteries is the product works the same just for a shorter period between charges. Apple's really thinking different here or has used a battery not capable of meeting the load over a reasonable life span.

Dec 28, 2017*permalink

Anyone knows if it happens when charging? It would clarify some aspects.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Death89

My 3+ year old 5S is still fine having never had the battery replaced. The 4S I had some time before was also fine when I sold it after three years...

As a current Android user I'm not really affected by this issue, but in my view I'd rather the device lasted longer than ran faster, half speed seems a bit extreme though. If my heavily used 5S (which was always known for short battery life under heavy use) still hasn't reached the threshold after 3.5 years, I consider that good going and far better than the original Note I had which ran through three batteries per day at the same age, or the Lumia 930 which at two years old and having had a battery change at just after a year, still couldn't make it through a heavy day.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Then don’t accept Apple, after your purchase, updates. Simple.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

I didn't miss any point.

What if it was working good enough that I didn't notice some marginal issue?

What if I was happier to charge my phone more often than have it run at half speed?

What if it was working better BEFORE they implemented the slowdown then after?

Should I be happy about that?

Obviously no one wants a slower phone than they had yesterday.

That's the point.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

HeyItsJoel

How dare they do whatever they want to their own products.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

kristian2000

After you buy them?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

WeOwntheMoment

this has got to be a troll comment right? if your camera started lagging unexpectedly after 3 years, I guarantee your response wouldnt be "well, Sony can do whatever they want to their own products" (without disclaimer to the consumer.)

Dec 27, 2017permalink

HeyItsJoel

Do you know of any electronics that doesn't deteriorate after a time? Surely, electronics don't die, do they?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Lost cause. People ranting and whining here seem to have a steadfast strong belief that electronics should last forever and never be prone to the effects of aging.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

EdwardWestonNYC

I think the anger comes more from the lack of disclosure than the actual act. Its one thing to buy an iphone NOW knowing this and knowing that a new battery will make it new. Its another when a company does it, you dont know about it, they don't tell you want can be done (replacing the battery) to restore it (rather they hope and are pushing you in effect to buy a new one).

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Don't update the OS if you don't want Apple meddling.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

kristian2000

Strange dpreview would use a photo of a phone that is obviously not an iPhone for this story. Reminds me of why I dislike stock photography.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Death89

Its a 6/6s/7/8 surely? Light sensor above the speaker, camera to the left, iOS camera app...

Dec 28, 2017permalink

grasscatcher

This kind of stuff makes you ask the obvious question, "Why don't smartphone manufacturers make the batteries easier to replace (i.e., by the consumer)?"

The Samsung S5 has a user-replaceable battery, and that phone is waterproof! It is actually quite easy to swap out the battery on that phone. It also accepts a microSD card. So "waterproofing the phone" is not a valid excuse. The mfrs want to get $$$ out of you every two years, one way or the other.

Isn't it funny how batteries tend to last two years, and the standard phone carrier contract has been two years....

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Karroly

The average number of full charge cycles is about 300/500 times for a battery. A smartphone battery is recharged every 1 or 2 days. So I do not find it particularly "funny" that a battery last about two years, but logical...

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

The S5 is NOT "waterproof". Stop spreading misinformation. It may be "water resistant" but even that should be taken with a grain of salt. Samsung's marketing team loves to blow smoke and claim things that are more gimmicks than fact. There are tons of reports about the S5 not surviving an accidental fall into some body of water.

There are just so much faults in your logic, it's no longer worth my time to explain it to you. It's obvious you have an agenda, even when facts to the contrary are right in front of you.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

austin design

Hmmm...what makes me think if someone here exaggerated an iPhone's weather-sealing, Gmon750 wouldn't have a coronary correcting the post.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

Rihass

So much for "great battery management" claim. Perhaps the so called great management is eating battery lifespan.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

its certainly not great but is is management at its most pure of definitions

apple manages everything .... your choice ..[ a few models ... no other makers welcome to the ecosystem] your connectors ....[ they simply remove an embedded worldwide standard] access to removable storage [also not permitted in phones only laptop type devices] they manage what apps
you may see [ how you decide to store music and film content]
the great big FU to consumers called iTunes, [ as awful bloated and convoluted and crappy as anything from Microsofts darkest days ]

total device management is their very credo and is at the heart of the apple experience, Many simply want to be led[ though they never think of it that way] and have things defined and simplified AMAP ....so the popularity of well-made simple to use hardware that fufills this explains much about the apple devotion phenomenon.

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

Rihass

When you manage your stuff, good, but don't touch mine without telling me what you're doing. It's bad enough that they push this freaking update every 5 minutes in your face, to claim later that 80% of the iphones are using the latest software, but they don't tell that after the software update you're unable to connect the bluetooth or something else is broken. That is precisely why I don't use iphones and I don't update my ipad. Apple is great but apple also sucks.

Dec 28, 2017*permalink

LeanneLand

I have an iPhone 6 plus and upgrading to iOS 11 slowed down my phone speed exponentially, ironically. I paid over $1300 cdn for my phone 2 years ago straight from Apple so it would be unlocked with the largest storage size. My argument is if these phones become 'throw away' in 2 years, why are they carrying $1k+ price tags. Why are they not at a lower price point if I need to replace it in 2 years?!! I love Apple but I'm so not impressed about any of this. My 5-year old MacBook Air still runs fantastic, and it only cost $1100. Ugh.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

I found by replacing the battery and installing the latest OS (not on top of previous OS’s will speed up the device considerably on 2 plus year old iPhones

Give it a shot and let me know b

Dec 27, 2017permalink

left eye

Same with MacBook / MacBook Pro?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Dunno... go to another forum that discusses that. This is about the iPhone. Please don't attempt to derail the thread.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

HeyItsJoel

Yes. Same as the MacBook [Pro]. I've noticed a decline in the performance on mine the older it got.

Dec 28, 2017permalink

owenlabs

12/27/17. I suspect this has something to do with the swollen battery, aka "light leakage" built-in defect in many iphones, when the battery swells and pushes the front of the phone out so light leaks from behind the screen. We've had three of 'em like that...

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Amando Hernandez Monge

To deliver the best experience for customers. you Apple might install bigger batteries in order to provide the required voltage and amperage that your phones need at least for the estimated iPhine life, which is 4 years nowadays measured in iOS upgrades able to be installed for every iPhone model.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Battery life is down to usage (well, recharge cycles, but same thing essentially), so super-heavy users who flatten it each day will have issues sooner than others. My over 4 year old 5s is down 11% on its initial battery capacity, which is fine for me... I'm sure some heavy games-playing 5s users are less happy...

Dec 27, 2017permalink

(I basically put this in response to a comment below, so split out to put up here in case anyone was interested.)

You can always check the battery capacity and if it's shot have it replaced. If out of warranty it doesn't have to be done by Apple, just check they use a genuine battery. (If in warranty it doesn't have to be done by Apple, but will void the warranty.) If the battery is good then look at what apps are beavering away in the background.

Apps to consider getting:
Victor Robinson's "Battery Life" (note are other apps with same name) - Free.
CPUdasher X - show CPU speed - 0.99 (needs iOS11)
GeekBench 4 - calculate CPU speed - 0.99 (iOS 9+)
Settings->Battery for what apps are eating all the battery.

In CPUdasherX look at CPU frequency...
Speeds are supposed to be:
1400MHz (6), 1848MHz (6s) and 2350MHz (7).
BTW my 7 shows 2243MHz.

Geekbench 4 CPU (single core/multi core):
My 7 - 3503/5999
My 5s - 1282/2238
http://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=iphone+7

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Anadrol

If Apple were honest, they would give you a choice about slowing down the phone.
They don't give you such choice, so Apple is a dishonest company, don't give them anymore of your money to teach them !

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

I buy a new iPhone every two years, replace the battery then give it to my wife who gets another 2 years out of the device.

For those making comments on the slowdown only need to use a Windows or Android product to know about slowdowns over time because of OS designs.

So some here can hate on but the reality is even with these “slowdowns” the performance of the older iPhones still smoke those of their older and new Android counterparts.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Anadrol

delusional...

Dec 27, 2017permalink

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-x-vs-galaxy-s8,review-4864.html

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Shhh.... facts and proof will scare the iHaters away.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Priaptor

Come on guys you have to love the irony and hypocrisy. Tim Cook and his cronies support Net Neutrality because your "monopolistic ISP" WILL slow down selectively BUT Tim and friends can do it with your phone and justify it. LMAO

Dec 27, 2017permalink

catfish252

That's their story and their sticking to it, we all know the truth is - they use it as a "push" to buy a newer iPhone. Apple is lying about the reason.

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

You can run an app to see how much your battery has deteriorated and another one to see how fast your phone is running. As these seem to agree I think they have the odd leg to stand on. (Should really have had some user controls though. Or better yet announced it as a new feature.)

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Nicolas Alexander Otto

Does come as no surprise I guess. I always stayed away from apple because of their offensive marketing, high prices and shady sales tactics.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

mariuss_bcn

I was wondering if all this is valid for anything that has batteries made by Apple (Smartphones, tablets, Macbooks).

Was anything reported for Macbooks in particular so far or it's just smartphones?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Interesting! Although it's only on a subset of iPhones, not even all of them so far, so possibly not (yet)?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

garyknrd

Reminds me of the old Three Stooges skit.
The law firm of,. DoWeCheatemAndHow.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Anadrol

You can remove the "Do" :D

Dec 27, 2017permalink

nyuck, nyuck nyuck.....

Dec 27, 2017permalink

doctor digi

Well, what do you expect from an arrogant company like Apple? If this was done to "conserve battery life" then the phone would have popped up a notification to let the user know the battery needed replacing soon. Hiding this "feature" indicates it was done to nudge people towards an upgrade.

Anyway, I can't say I'm exactly enthused about Apple products. I've spent the last 2 years developing apps for the iPhone/iPad. While the hardware is nice, everything else leaves a lot to be desired. Working with Android and (yes, I'm afraid) Windows is so much nicer and far quicker. The sooner Apple has its wings clipped the better.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Lithium battery life goes down with recharge cycles (and how fast you charge it/battery technology) however I still have my iPhone 5s, which I got over 4 years ago and the battery capacity remains pretty good, it specifically did clearly better than my iPhone 4s' battery and I think both the battery and the charging technology improved between the two. Currently the capacity is 1400mAh vs 1570mAh when new (i.e. down 11%), which considering the number of Gizmos I've had where the battery dies just after the EU two-year warranty expires (FitBit, Black and Decker, etc.) works for me.
Oh and note they aren't slowing down phones older than the 6 currently AFAIK.

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

WilliamJ

Well, well, well. The equation is not rocket science: planned obsolescence = no longer that brand. QED !

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Jonathan Mac

I think if they were really not trying to push customers towards upgrading, once the CPU slow-down is done the phone would advise the user and recommend that they replace the battery if the phone is more than, say, 18 months old.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

pgb

I think the problem for Apple is that they have to replace a degraded battery within the warranty period. This slowing is designed to get them over the two year line so no cost to them. Of course this has the fringe benefit that users think they need to upgrade when it slows down. Apple employees don't say that the slowing is due to battery wear, pretty sleazy.

If they are honest the IOS should give the user the info that the phone will power down more often or the user can opt to slow the cpu down or a battery replacement. I've read that Apple won't replace the battery if it's still 80% good.

Bottom line is that the battery is too small to last a reasonable distance when used by heavy users. Apple has been banking, literally on people upgrading or limping past the warranty period.

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

MaxiMax

Although I can afford buying Apple products, I stay away from them. I like to own what I buy, and there are much better stuff out there. But that is only my opinion.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

ChrisKramer1

Photography does drain the battery pretty quickly, so this should be an important issue for iPhone photographers. Also, add in the the photo editing on the iPhone. Apple offers a wide range of superb apps which are far better than those on Android (Artstudio Pro, Pixelmator, icolorama, Enlight) but using them drains the battery pretty quickly too. On Android, I have to use three or four apps to get the same effects I achieve on Artstudio, so battery drain is even more if an issue.

Manufacturers should produce a photographer's edition of their device with an exchangeable battery (like the old Galaxy Notes).

The lack of the headphone socket is a way bigger issue...

Dec 27, 2017permalink

ovlov

I hope Apple users enjoy that big white iDildo Apple just slid between their buns.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Such a sweetheart.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201303/hysteria-and-the-strange-history-vibrators

its not a dildo !

its a medical device for treating " hysteria"
strange but true

Dec 27, 2017permalink

MJohns

Happened to run into a few iPhone designers at a Christmas party a few days ago. The subject of slowed iPhones came up.
One of the guys had worked on this issue and described the slowdown as an intended benefit to "limp home" once the battery showed signs of weakness in operation. He acknowledged that Apple's human factors design was at best "sub-optimal". The performance does snap back once the battery is replaced.
It is my understanding that the latest software update does a better job alerting owners that their battery needs replacing and the phone is slowed to try and keep it working for a bit longer. Still not optimal IMHO, as there is not a big bold message warning of the problem, but you can at least find it in settings.
Apple had an impressive design to even detect the weak battery and compensate. However, their human factors design was just terrible.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

fjbyrne

That's interesting. Is replacing batteries a normal thing for an iPhone? It certainly doesn't seem to be user replaceable. If Apple were serious they should design the phones to allow user replaceable batteries IMO.

IMO it's really moot if battery replacement is too difficult or expensive to be a real option. Either way this should be the user's choice which is completely anti-Apple.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

aiwentimotai

If i pop in a compatible battery and the performance goes back to normal, i would believe that Apple is doing this for the interest of iphone users. If not, they are just trying to force you to either change the battery or upgrade your phone, which benefit them either way.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

It has already been confirmed that simply replacing the battery erases the issue. So much for conspiracy issues.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Lemelisk

Except that apple makes it super difficult to replace the battery by yourself. You pretty much have to give them $80 to get your phone running as it should

Dec 27, 2017permalink

As opposed to giving Samsung $60? Oh, the horror.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

aiwentimotai

Haha, but Samsung doesn't need you you to change the phone's battery to bring the performance back to normal. So you are not forced to spend that $60.

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

Lithium batteries aren't magic, capacity goes down with recharge cycles, so you either run more slowly to get the same run-time or have less time until it's flat.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

fjbyrne

@Dr_Jon

And the choice of running slower or running shorter should be the user's IMO.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Yes, but the default should be the one where the phone doesn't suddenly die. My iPhone 4s used to stop shortly after going below 38% battery on a very cold day...

Dec 27, 2017permalink

And my Samsung S3 and S5 would often be nearly dead by 10:30 in the morning. So much for Samsung being the model tech...LOL.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Not updating and my phone is ok.$80 seems a lot for a new battery,should be pointed out when you buy the product that you will need a new one in 1yr.Never heard that mentioned before.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

MJohns

Battery life is really variable. I worked on a project that monitored 1000's of batteries in high-availability servers. Battery life-time is mostly just luck, but is influenced by number of deep discharges (more is bad), temperature, and original battery quality. Apple does provide a quality initial battery, which is the one parameter they can control. Latest software update gives you a way to see if battery issues have surfaced.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

A family member says since the update the speed on the 6s he has has gone down dramatically.Doesnt want to change phones but is contemplating getting a Samsung with what has happened.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Check the battery capacity and if it's shot have it replaced? The 6s is possibly out of warranty so doesn't have to be done by Apple, just check they use a genuine battery. If the battery is good then look at what apps are beavering away in the background.

Apps to consider getting:
Victor Robinson's "Battery Life" (note are other apps with same name) - Free.
CPUdasher X - show CPU speed - 0.99 (needs iOS11)
GeekBench 4 - calculate CPu speed - 0.99 (iOS 9+)
Settings->Battery for what apps are eating all the battery.

In CPUdasherX look at CPU frequency...
Speeds are supposed to be: 1400MHz (6), 1848MHz (6s) and 2350MHz (7).
BTW my 7 shows 2243MHz.

As I said elsewhere the battery on my 5s is still fine (from a life/performance point of view) after over 4 years, my 4s started to show signs of age after 2 (though only when it got really cold).

Dec 27, 2017*permalink

I will pass this on.Thanks for the info.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Terry Breedlove

I have the 6s plus and the 7 plus. I have not noticed any performance hit at all on either. My granddaughter has my old 5s and used it to play games and play kids YouTube. It also seems just fine. I think there is more to how this actually works than what is being told.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Did you do the update?

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Terry Breedlove

Yep they all have their latest update.

Dec 27, 2017permalink

Henning W

My 5s is just fine as well.

Interesting articles explaining a bit more of this:
http://www.idownloadblog.com/?p=533377
http://www.idownloadblog.com/?p=558841

Apples PR on this is rather shaky, but conspiracy theorist should probably look elsewhere.

Dec 27, 2017permalink