Other The myth of Apple intentionally slowing down older iPhones…

[FeliApple]

Agree with you completely. In fact, if Apple wanted folks to experience planned obsolescence, they SHOULD have ALLOWED their phones to functionally restart or shut off when over-taxed as the report suggests. Idk about you, but I would be far more likely to upgrade if my phone tanked every now and again a few years in, than if my phone simply slowed down. I expect a phone to be slower. I don’t expect it to shut down when I need it most. And Apple could just have pointed at the physics of battery technology etc etc and the public would have yelled at them for not keeping the phone from shutting down… because Apple allowing their phones to shut down would mean (in their eyes) Apple pushed planned obsolescence.

Screwed if you do. Screwed if you don’t.

Sure, should Apple have been more transparent, of course. But it’s far from the conspiracy theory folks are peddling.

I think the issue blew up because it was shutting down at high percentages, so Apple slowed the processor down by 60% to combat the battery’s inability to cope. People discovered the slowdown and the rest is history. Which is funny. People really only care when it completely impaired use, but they never drew the line at the disaster they did with iOS 7 on the iPhone 4, iOS 9 on the 4s, or iOS 10 on the iPhone 5? Even the iPhone 6 Plus on iOS 12 is abhorrent.

Why do you expect it to be slower? My 5-year-old iPhone Xʀ is amazing on iOS 12. Just as fast as the iPhone 15 with general use.

 

[Al Rukh]

I agree that the whole issue is overblown, but I would not go as far to say it's pro-consumer.

Apple was incentivised, to put it lightly, to not disclose that the slowing down was due to old batteries. The incentive obviously being the hope that users would just simply buy new iPhones. "Pro-consumer" would've been to slow the phone but also disclose it and say it's due to ageing batteries, letting users decide what to do - keep it, replace the battery, or buy a new iPhone.

Apple goes to great efforts to persuade you that they have the environment in mind yet they do acts like this which likely caused many people to buy a new phone instead of saving resources and replacing the battery. The only 'pro' they are is pro-profit.

Thats a fair take. However, it’s only logical that the user brings their crippling, slowed-down iPhone that is unable to last them like how it did to the Genius Bar to address the issue. And then they will get the option of replacing the batteries for a fee. Apple has always been disclosing the users about their iPhones’ battery health but it used to take an extra step which is to go to the store.

 

[winxmac]

Only used iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5c, 5s, 6s, SE 2016, 7 Plus, 11 Pro Max, 14 Pro Max

iOS 7 on iPhone 4
iOS 9 on iPhone 4s
iOS 12 on iPhone 5s, 6, 6 Plus
iOS 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 on older models

May not be intentional but Apple releasing performance demanding software on underpowered hardware so as to ensure most number of devices as secure as possible seems to agree that it was indeed intentional on Apple's part...

 

[MathersMahmood]

Wasn’t a myth. They were slowing phones down and not telling anyone and only when they were caught out they released a statement. That’s what the whole thing was about.

They didn’t communicate it to anyone or let consumers know they should get a battery replacement. They kept quiet so people could go get new phones and give them more money.

 

[Al Rukh]

Wasn’t a myth. They were slowing phones down and not telling anyone and only when they were caught out they released a statement. That’s what the whole thing was about.

They didn’t communicate it to anyone or let consumers know they should get a battery replacement. They kept quiet so people could go get new phones and give them more money.

Your comment is an excellent example of how facts can be manipulated to form a popular, but incorrect, narrative.

Apple will tell you that you need a battery replacement if you go to the Genius Bar when you experience performance issues - lag or the phone does not last long.

Apple had to publicly admit they were ‘throttling’ older iPhones because there were comments and headlines - like you’ve made here - floating around and it’s the company’s best interest to squash false rumours and narratives. Could Apple have been more transparent? Sure but by them not being so does not equate them to have malicious intentions to begin with.

 

[FeliApple]

Your comment is an excellent example of how facts can be manipulated to form a popular, but incorrect, narrative.

Apple will tell you that you need a battery replacement if you go to the Genius Bar when you experience performance issues - lag or the phone does not last long.

Apple had to publicly admit they were ‘throttling’ older iPhones because there were comments and headlines - like you’ve made here - floating around and it’s the company’s best interest to squash false rumours and narratives. Could Apple have been more transparent? Sure but by them not being so does not equate them to have malicious intentions to begin with.

But it’s not like battery replacements restore the device to original iOS version performance and battery life anyway. They’re still worse. On both counts. The throttling issue was perhaps the most extreme manifestation of the problem, but this is still happening. Irreversible iOS updates which impact performance and battery life are the norm, even now, even after the fiasco.

 

[Al Rukh]

But it’s not like battery replacements restore the device to original iOS version performance and battery life anyway. They’re still worse. On both counts. The throttling issue was perhaps the most extreme manifestation of the problem, but this is still happening. Irreversible iOS updates which impact performance and battery life are the norm, even now, even after the fiasco.

It does not and it doesn’t have to achieve that. We as consumers should expect some level of performance impact hit of our current iPhones when newer iOS drops in subsequent years. That’s a fact. And if we expect Apple to go out of their way to ensure that we have a ‘new iPhone’ experience without actually buying a new iPhone, that’s on us. That’s not how businesses work. It’s in their best interest that the latest and greatest softwares are optimised for the latest and greatest hardware the company has to offer.

As long as Apple supports the older hardwares with recent softwares, I would have no complaints. And I have used the 7 on iOS 11, 8 on iOS 12 and I noticed the lags and extra battery drains but that’s because those releases come with new to somewhat-new features that might not be well-optimised on older iPhones - however it did not cause detrimental experiences and for that I’m grateful.

 

[zaidbaby]

It does not and it doesn’t have to achieve that. We as consumers should expect some level of performance impact hit of our current iPhones when newer iOS drops in subsequent years. That’s a fact. And if we expect Apple to go out of their way to ensure that we have a ‘new iPhone’ experience without actually buying a new iPhone, that’s on us. That’s not how businesses work. It’s in their best interest that the latest and greatest softwares are optimised for the latest and greatest hardware the company has to offer.

As long as Apple supports the older hardwares with recent softwares, I would have no complaints. And I have used the 7 on iOS 11, 8 on iOS 12 and I noticed the lags and extra battery drains but that’s because those releases come with new to somewhat-new features that might not be well-optimised on older iPhones - however it did not cause detrimental experiences and for that I’m grateful.

You are a good example of iSheep mate. Many convincing arguments on how Apple engaged in malicious behaviour and still does on many fronts (like environment friendly crap) yet you acknowledged nothing. iSheeps exist

 

[FeliApple]

It does not and it doesn’t have to achieve that. We as consumers should expect some level of performance impact hit of our current iPhones when newer iOS drops in subsequent years. That’s a fact. And if we expect Apple to go out of their way to ensure that we have a ‘new iPhone’ experience without actually buying a new iPhone, that’s on us. That’s not how businesses work. It’s in their best interest that the latest and greatest softwares are optimised for the latest and greatest hardware the company has to offer.

I would only agree with this if Apple allowed downgrading. Because as it is now, if you have to update for some reason, you’re out of luck.

Let me give a specific example: there is a bug with devices with the A9 chip on iOS 9. For some inexplicable reason, they’re deactivated and forced to update, some server problem Apple never fixed. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro was perfectly working on iOS 9 until September 2019. There, Apple deactivated it and forced me to update. They literally forced me, I couldn’t use it otherwise. Now battery life is significantly worse. I didn’t choose this, why do I have to tolerate it? It’s not my fault that you had a bug and there was nothing I could do.

I guess I disagree with the expectation that just because a device is not the latest then it should work poorly.

My phone is an iPhone Xʀ running iOS 12. It is perfect. Battery life? Like-new. Performance? As fast as my M1 iPad Air. Why should it be worse?

So it is one or the other. You either guarantee perfection for the entire device’s lifespan or you allow downgrading. Apple is at fault (and it can be considered forced obsolescence), as long as they do neither and just keep obliterating devices via the malware that are iOS updates.

As long as Apple supports the older hardwares with recent softwares, I would have no complaints. And I have used the 7 on iOS 11, 8 on iOS 12 and I noticed the lags and extra battery drains but that’s because those releases come with new to somewhat-new features that might not be well-optimised on older iPhones - however it did not cause detrimental experiences and for that I’m grateful.

But why do you want Apple to support devices when all that achieves is degradation? If it were up to me, I’d wish Apple to support nothing. If Apple won’t provide software support, the experience wouldn’t degrade.

Some devices are very mediocre, and I’ve seen people ask for more. That’s something I can’t understand. I’ve seen 1st-gen iPad Pro users ask for iPadOS 17, when battery life on iPadOS 16 is three hours and the device is very slow and with a lot of lag. Do you really want more? You have no expectation of performance whatsoever? You’re okay with it being complete garbage just for some temporary compatibility?

 

[Al Rukh]

You are a good example of iSheep mate. Many convincing arguments on how Apple engaged in malicious behaviour and still does on many fronts (like environment friendly crap) yet you acknowledged nothing. iSheeps exist

You can’t blame me for staying close to the topic.

 

[Luke MacWalker]

I think there was also a big nocebo effect at work with the throttling story and the so called "planned obsolescence" outcry. For example many users wrote that their iPhone went slower although their models were not affected by the throttling fix. Moreover, after Apple allowed users to disable this throttling, I couldn’t read a single article about how the iPhones became fast again.
What is sure is that Apple totally failed in their communication. But the outcry about planned obsolescence was totally unwarranted.
However I wish downgrading iOS was easier and not time limited: if one is not happy with the performance of the iPhone after the upgrade, going back to the previous version ought to be not only possible at any time but also easier.

 

[Ace McLoud]

only Apple can get away with this BS. Imagine you bought a Tesla and every year when a new model comes out your current car becomes slower. 5 years in and you floor the accelerator just to keep up with 50Mph traffic. Would you shrug and say “oh well the new software update added new features for the new models so I understand it’s not optimized for my old car.”

Nobody ever accused the average tesla fanboy of being smart ...

 

[h.gilbert]

Thats a fair take. However, it’s only logical that the user brings their crippling, slowed-down iPhone that is unable to last them like how it did to the Genius Bar to address the issue. And then they will get the option of replacing the batteries for a fee. Apple has always been disclosing the users about their iPhones’ battery health but it used to take an extra step which is to go to the store.

Of course replacing the battery will cost, but that cost both financially and environmentally is less than buying a new iPhone. The point is pro-consumer would be being more transparent with the consumer and letting them make decisions.

 

[Lift Bar]

I'm looking for tests comparing older iPhones (with new batteries) on their original iOS versions versus the latest updates. Specifically, I'm interested in any data showing how performance changes with iOS updates on these older devices. Does anyone have information or links to such studies?

Thanks!

 

[eyoungren]

But it’s not like battery replacements restore the device to original iOS version performance and battery life anyway. They’re still worse. On both counts. The throttling issue was perhaps the most extreme manifestation of the problem, but this is still happening. Irreversible iOS updates which impact performance and battery life are the norm, even now, even after the fiasco.

I have to disagree with this a bit. You may know my story about my 6 Plus, which I bought a few months ago. Short version is, bad battery when I bought it, took it to Apple, they refused to replace the battery. Device was shutting off under load at high battery percentages, but only on battery. It did not do this when connected to power. Genius said it was probably a logicboard fault and I disagreed.

Got a new battery somewhere else and it's been fine ever since. Now, here's where I disagree a bit. It came with iOS 12, I restored it several times to iOS 12. It's working just fine.

If you want to caveat my statements though by saying I don't use this device as a primary phone and that my use of it is minimal then that would be fair. But aside from that I am not finding it's battery life bad, nor it's performance poor.

 

[FeliApple]

I have to disagree with this a bit. You may know my story about my 6 Plus, which I bought a few months ago. Short version is, bad battery when I bought it, took it to Apple, they refused to replace the battery. Device was shutting off under load at high battery percentages, but only on battery. It did not do this when connected to power. Genius said it was probably a logicboard fault and I disagreed.

Got a new battery somewhere else and it's been fine ever since. Now, here's where I disagree a bit. It came with iOS 12, I restored it several times to iOS 12. It's working just fine.

If you want to caveat my statements though by saying I don't use this device as a primary phone and that my use of it is minimal then that would be fair. But aside from that I am not finding it's battery life bad, nor it's performance poor.

Two points: The fact that you need constant battery replacements to make it half-decent isn’t an adequate solution. This happens with the iPhone 6s and the 1st-gen SE. They’re still horrible when compared with iOS 9 with new batteries, but they’re usable. The 1st-gen SE is about 40% worse in terms of battery life than my 63% health 6s on iOS 10 with a new battery. And the SE is better than the 6s on iOS 9. An adequate solution isn’t “have near-constant battery replacements to make it half-usable”.

Also, how good is it? What’s its battery life? Maybe it’s usable with a new battery, but it definitely isn’t as good as it was on iOS 8. No keyboard lag, for example?

 

[eyoungren]

Two points: The fact that you need constant battery replacements to make it half-decent isn’t an adequate solution. This happens with the iPhone 6s and the 1st-gen SE. They’re still horrible when compared with iOS 9 with new batteries, but they’re usable. The 1st-gen SE is about 40% worse in terms of battery life than my 63% health 6s on iOS 10 with a new battery. And the SE is better than the 6s on iOS 9. An adequate solution isn’t “have near-constant battery replacements to make it half-usable”.

Also, how good is it? What’s its battery life? Maybe it’s usable with a new battery, but it definitely isn’t as good as it was on iOS 8. No keyboard lag, for example?

Well…it's a brand new to me iPhone 6 Plus. I bought it in September I believe, to replace the 6 Plus I turned in to T-Mobile when I ported from Sprint in 2015.

AFAIK this battery replacement is the only one this phone has ever had. I got it done at uBreakiFix and they give you an Apple OEM battery with a 1 year warranty on it.

I also have a 6s Plus that has had only one battery replacement and that was November 2021.

Below are my 6 Plus (left) and my 6s Plus right.



I'd agree that constant battery replacements are a problem. I had that problem with my iPhone 5, battery replaced twice, phone replaced three times. But both my 6 Plus and 6s Plus have only had one battery replacement each.

And no, no keyboard lag on either. 6s Plus is on iOS 15.

 

[FeliApple]

Well…it's a brand new to me iPhone 6 Plus. I bought it in September I believe, to replace the 6 Plus I turned in to T-Mobile when I ported from Sprint in 2015.

AFAIK this battery replacement is the only one this phone has ever had. I got it done at uBreakiFix and they give you an Apple OEM battery with a 1 year warranty on it.

I also have a 6s Plus that has had only one battery replacement and that was November 2021.

Below are my 6 Plus (left) and my 6s Plus right.

View attachment 2323207View attachment 2323208

I'd agree that constant battery replacements are a problem. I had that problem with my iPhone 5, battery replaced twice, phone replace three times. But both my 6 Plus and 6s Plus have only had one battery replacement each.

And no, no keyboard lag on either. 6s Plus is on iOS 15.

Both of the screenshots have no usage at all, it’s difficult to draw any conclusions.

I guess, being a Plus model with a new battery, that at least the 6 Plus would be usable, at least in terms of battery life, for how long though... a question.

Users of the 6s on iOS 15 report that as soon as battery health drops to like 85% they’re already unusable. So even if you get maybe 4 hours with a new battery (I get 7-8 with a 63% health battery on iOS 10), and maybe if you can say “well, but 4 hours or a little above that is usable”, it’s not if as soon as it drops a little it plummets into uselessness... which I’d be fine with if Apple allowed downgrading. You could at least choose then.

Now, it’s either constant battery replacements for a mediocre experience, or just uselessness on all counts.

Luckily with newer iPhones with larger batteries this got better. I won’t deny that newer iPhones like the Xʀ and the 11 are better in that regard, but still, the degradation is very heavy even if it isn’t as bad. Seems like the iPhone 11 can still get 8 hours or more with light use with replaced batteries, which is a massive improvement when comparing them with updated 6 or 6s iPhones. So maybe it’s getting better, but then again, I don’t think needing constant battery replacements is a good solution.

This happens with iPads, too. 1st-gen and 2nd-gen iPad Pros are unusable if updated with used batteries. Yeah, you can get one battery replacement, but what happens when the second battery degrades and Apple doesn’t service those devices anymore? The device is just gone. I’ve seen screenshots of those devices when updated and they’re useless.

My 9.7-inch iPad Pro has been forced to iOS 12, but even if it’s 25% worse than iOS 9, it still gets 10-11 hours of screen-on time, with the original battery and being over 7 years old. iOS 12, unlike iPadOS 16, isn’t enough to kill it, luckily. But with no battery replacement it is and it will be fine solely because I was able to keep it outdated enough for it not to matter.

 

[Al Rukh]

I would only agree with this if Apple allowed downgrading. Because as it is now, if you have to update for some reason, you’re out of luck.

It doesn’t bother me as much when we are unable to downgrade to the older iOS version after a period of time. However I think Apple will be doing both of us a favour if they give us an option to not to update to the latest iOS - while providing security updates for older models.

 

[FeliApple]

It doesn’t bother me as much when we are unable to downgrade to the older iOS version after a period of time. However I think Apple will be doing both of us a favour if they give us an option to not to update to the latest iOS - while providing security updates for older models.

They still provide that option. I’ve found my solution to this. Never update and I’m fine. I have a 5-year-old iPhone running its original version and it’s as smooth as the latest iPhone. Battery life is incredible too, original battery. I’m very pleased with the outcome of this.

This is my iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12:

 

[eyoungren]

Both of the screenshots have no usage at all, it’s difficult to draw any conclusions.

Which is why I gave you the caveat earlier about my limited use of both phones. Here's the thing…I work from home, so I sit in front of computers all day. On my desk are nine phones, five of which are always on. The 6 Plus sits right in front of my keyboard and I use it when I'm too lazy to reach over and pick up my 11 Pro Max. Typically that is to send an iMessage. That's about all the workout it gets. Sometimes I use it as a clock, usually not. But I wanted the 6 Plus back because it was the only phone that I've used in the past that I no longer had. I had no intent to use it as a primary phone, or even a secondary phone.

If I go on walks or at times where I think my phone could be damaged or stolen, I use the 6s Plus. It has an active line, but that's all the use it gets. If neither of those things happen then it sits there. My 11 PM is the only phone that actually routinely goes out with me and as many here can attest I do not use my phones as media devices or computer substitutes. So, the 11PM also sees minimal use, and that's my primary phone.

So you could absolutely be right. If I were to use my 6 Plus or 6s Plus as a regular phone or in the manner some use theirs then it might lag, and the battery life might be bad. But for what I use both for, neither of them give me any problems.

I would say that I do not experience a lot of the same problems other phone users do because of my lifestyle and workstyle.

 

[Al Rukh]

They still provide that option. I’ve found my solution to this. Never update and I’m fine. I have a 5-year-old iPhone running its original version and it’s as smooth as the latest iPhone. Battery life is incredible too, original battery. I’m very pleased with the outcome of this.

This is my iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12: View attachment 2323215

They do? As far as I’m aware, Apple only provides security-only point updates for devices that do not support the latest software. I could be wrong.

 

[ric22]

You have the cause and effect reversed. The speed of iPhone 6S dropped by 60%. That means A9 dropped to the speed of A6. iPhone 6 went from 1.4 GHz to 600 MHz. People definitely notice that in day to day use. People realized how slow their phones had become and ran Geekbench to confirm.

I don't think Apple slowed down old iPhones for the sake of slowing them down. But they were wrong and heavy handed. Apple "fixed" an unexpected shutdown issue by hiding the fact the battery needed replacement. Apple significantly reduced the performance because it only benefits Apple if the phone is slower.

If your car's engine unexpectedly shuts down on the highway and the manufacturer reduced power output by 60% as a fix, you'd probably want to know. Apple was completely silent on this issue until someone found out.

My iPhone 6 had awful slowdown until the battery was replaced. Even with a new battery, when I updated to the latest/final iOS, the performance was shocking. The phone couldn't vaguely operate normally when browsing the internet any more, so I was forced to buy a new phone.

 

[turbineseaplane]

But if you change your phones battery every 18-24 months you’ll scarcely want a new phone.

I wish I could do that … but I’m a small phone person

As it stands now, I have no clue what I’ll do when my 13 Mini ages out

 

[FeliApple]

They do? As far as I’m aware, Apple only provides security-only point updates for devices that do not support the latest software. I could be wrong.

Oh, no, they don’t provide security updates but barring that specific issue with A9 devices on iOS 9, they allow us to stay behind. I’d switch to Android immediately if they didn’t.