Apple outed for intentionally slowing phones

[T18skyguy]

A tech researcher discovered code that intentionally slows older Iphones. Apple claims it's needed for power consumption for older lithium ion batteries. It affects all Iphones up to the Iphone 7. Meanwhile, Android suffers no such manipulation with the same batteries. :R You be the judge

[Bob_Shaw]

All I know is that my iphone7s worked pretty well until I updated to ios 11. Now it is virtually unusable, and eats the battery much faster than it did before the update. Sometimes it will actually feel very warm when I wasn't even using it. I guess it's time to go to Android.

[Ductape]

Not the same thing at all. When my old Samsung began to need charging before a full day's use I knew it was time to buy a battery. They didn't surreptitiously slow the processor to conceal evidence of battery degradation.

Apple could have just as easily popped up a dialog and asked the user to select full power with more frequent charging vs. reduced power with infrequent charging.

[justme]

What is interesting as well, both android and IPhone are Linux based.

[paulcardoza]

This really does say it all! The situation is no different than updating an older PC with the newest OS, be it MAC or Windows. Older hardware struggles more with every new OS release. Same with smartphones.

Android phones rarely receive the newest OS updates. At least iOS updates are available to most everyone, except for the very oldest devices. If there are performance concessions to allow everything to work, is that the end of the world? It's not like they force you to update.

That said, disclosure of the strategy would have been the better option for APPLE.

camperforlife wrote:
Older android users complain they don't get the latest updates and have to buy new phones to get the latest software. Apple users complain that they get the latest software and sometimes it slows down the phones.

Bottom line is if you want the latest greatest at the current speed you have to buy new hardware. Nothing new about the way either platform updates, it's always been that way. Today's consumer wants the latest greatest-for free. It really is a non story.

[camperforlife]

Older android users complain they don't get the latest updates and have to buy new phones to get the latest software. Apple users complain that they get the latest software and sometimes it slows down the phones.

Bottom line is if you want the latest greatest at the current speed you have to buy new hardware. Nothing new about the way either platform updates, it's always been that way. Today's consumer wants the latest greatest-for free. It really is a non story.

[T18skyguy]

The roll out of 5G is not that far away, but definitely within the lifespan of any new phone. The last time I checked, the only current phone 5G enabled is the Samsung S8. T Mobile did pick up some low band frequency, they mentioned that to me too, but I didn't bite on that either. I took my Verizon S7 over to T mobile and have no regrets at all. This whole issue makes me wonder if their doing it with their laptops too. On my desktop, I just removed the Windows 10 creators update off it cause it was slowing the machine. I keep the security portions of it but ditch all the fluff.

[wa8yxm]

The reasons for "Throttling" older phones.. There are 3 Only one makes sense

1: IF we throttle the older hardware people will be encuraged to upgrade and we will make more PFOFIT (The Greedy Company Board of Directors reason)

2: The company wishes to be sued into bankruptcy (The customer's reason)

and finally 3, NOTE that this is not really "Throttling" as the phone still performs at the top speed it was designed for.

New technology and new FCC authorizations allow us to use Radios with more bandwidth, but of course the older hardware can not access these new frequencies.

T-mobile suggested I mighjt wish to upgrade my phone because it can not get the latest authorized radio bands. I declined. But the phone's performance has not been reduced at all. it still works as well as it did on day one, better in fact because it was a "Transistion" phone, and T-mible (Well Samsung) put in a pending upgrade, which, has since been activated.

[Harvey51]

Apparently the slowdown occurs when the battery voltage becomes too low to run the processor at full speed. The purpose is to let the user use the phone slowly rather than not at all until charged. ItSource link

I don't like the iPhone and iPad being difficult to change the battery. It only takes a few minutes so I don't think it is particularly expensive to have the phone kiosk in the mall do it. Anyone interested in changing batteries, screens, cameras, etc on Apple products could start with I fix it I buy batteries, etc on eBay now but still use their video instructions. Be aware there are tiny parts and connectors in there so it is a bit scary at first.

I'm still using iPhone 5, refurb purchased on eBay a few years ago.

[Ductape]

Ralph Cramden wrote:

Ductape wrote:
I'm done with Apple whenever the current phone dies (or slows apparently). Too much Nanny state "we know what's best" without informing the customer, or in other cases allowing us an option to choose.

updates will not download on cellular connections if they're above a certain size.

My next phone I'm going back to Android.

Wish in one hand and poop in the other........ya know how that goes?

Usually Android will not do a large OS update over cellular either. That's usually a limitation imposed by your cellular provider, and not an OS feature to my knowledge. The cellular provider has a lot of input into the upgrades which is why when Android comes out with an update (an actual OS update and not just a security update), Verizon customers may have it long before AT&T, or vice versa.

That's only true if you buy carrier locked phones, which I never do.

[ReadyToGo]

What makes this all the more ironic is what gave Apple a big push originally. I would suspect most will remember the Super Bowl commercial where everyone is marching mindlessly? Guess we found out who the mindless ones really were.
I love the Samsung commercial (which came out before this latest kurrfuffle) saying "you lied to me"
Keep up the good work Apple, you drive more people to Android every day.

[drsteve]

Apple has been this way since forever. They want (and have) full control of everything from the original software, to the updates, to the hardware. Nobody is allowed to produce Mac computer parts, everything is proprietary. Repair facilities must be authorized. No parts will be sold to the public. This goes for computers, music players, phones, tablets, everything.

It's their way or no way. That's why I have never owned an Apple product and never will.

[Jbrowland]

Planned Obsolesence is annoying but I can't say I wouldn't do it if I were them.

[vermilye]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Apple has had their fingers in this LONG before this new slowing down issue. Which btw should prove to everyone just how much control they have over your phone.

I had one of the very first iphones. The 'minute' they came out with the next iPhone version all my apps quite working saying I HAD to buy the new phone. Try and download new apps? Same thing. You have to upgrade to new version phone to download new apps. Cancelled that phone and have never looked back. What a scam that was never exposed.

That's why so many apps are for free. Apple pays them and controls them. They come out with new phone and apps are instructed to stop working properly until you buy one of their new phones. And all your apps eat your data 24 7's. Now who do you think is benefiting from that? Cause now you have to keep increasing your data plan.

I still can't wrap my head around anyone buying each and every new iphone as they come out for hundreds of dollars. Can't believe that Apple has brainwashed so many people. 😞

You must have different apps than me. I've made many os upgrades to my iPhone 5 and never had an app stop working, although I sometimes have had to download a new, free version of the app. Never needed a new phone to run an old app. As to data, almost all apps can have the data connection set to continuous OR only when using the app.

[Hank_MI]

MrWizard wrote:
On Verizon, with Android
I have never had a problem getting a system version update over cellular
I'm very good at avoiding updates, until i have to, or want to
And it has always been done via cell signal

Android, on T-Mobile. More than one system update over cellular, downloaded behind the scenes then tells me about it and waits for me to say install. Now Samsung won't automatically backup my phone over cellular, only over wifi. It will backup over cellular if I tell it to.

[Irover]

I have not used an I phone so no clue other than I seen many on the local Buy, Sell and Trade sites! That says something.
Wait until this Net Neutrality is stopped, then their will be some very upset users! The top web sites will control what we see and do,and may have to pay to see our favorites!
I use an Android phone I use from Cricket as it has a hotspot feature to connect to the web! It only has 4 GB of memory so it locks up sometimes in an application, also slows down due to lack of memory!