The raw truth behind all conspiracies
In the last few days, many articles have been written about older iPhones suddenly slowing down. Some of them explain the issue with an objective view, but others are just blaming Apple’s decision in various ways. I’ve decided to list down a few things to let you decide on your own what’s wrong and what’s not.
Before discussing anything let’s be clear. I’m not going to hide any facts or choose a point of view. I’m not choosing Apple’s side but neither the people’s side. The reasons will follow.
To begin with, I’m also an iPhone owner. I’ve had iPhone 4 for 6 whole years without any problem at all and I’ve switched to [amazon_textlink asin=’B00NQ1GBEY’ text=’iPhone 6′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’a2a79b94-e953-11e7-93f0-796d79d7d160′] when it came out. I was pleased with using my iPhone 6 for the past 3 years. After applying the latest “updates” to my iPhone 6 device, I came across a lot of issues which made me struggle to effortlessly use my phone in simple everyday tasks.
It all started especially after the iOS 10.2 update. Sudden system crashes and shut-downs have began to disturb my daily experience, even on simple tasks, like trying to send an SMS or even answering a call. For this reason, Apple released the iOS 10.2.1 update where they have claimed to almost fully cure those issues. Unfortunately not. User experience seems far from normal, as iPhone 6 was a lot slower and glitchier than before.
As Apple explained
“A small number of customers outside the affected range have also reported an unexpected shutdown. Some of these shutdowns can occur under normal conditions for the iPhone to protect its electronics,”
iOS 11 was the cherry on top. That was one of the main reasons why I seriously thought several times about throwing my iPhone 6 straight at the wall. It was the first and worst negative experience I’ve ever faced with an Apple product.
Reddit users have noticed that Apple appears to be slowing down old iPhones that have low-capacity batteries.
Who does this affect?
[amazon_textlink asin=’B00NQFVEKQ’ text=’iPhone 6′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’f336ed47-e953-11e7-9766-5dc6dfa6a09a’], [amazon_textlink asin=’B0711KZLRK’ text=’6S’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’00a1ae56-e954-11e7-bae7-0f261b000616′], [amazon_textlink asin=’B01DD8LOTQ’ text=’SE’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’0b8dda61-e954-11e7-b0df-55cf8472202d’], and [amazon_textlink asin=’B01LW1VU9E’ text=’7′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’2342bbae-e954-11e7-9ee4-59723ca3048d’] users at the moment, but it will likely continue for all future iPhones until further notice.
What’s strange enough?
Did anyone notice that [amazon_textlink asin=’B00F3J2ITY’ text=’iPhone 5S’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’b29dbdc4-e9a4-11e7-9da1-9d79f875a056′] is not on the list? Also, I have to mention that it’s fully functional and it’s maybe the smoothest older iPhone for the moment even with iOS 11 on it.
[amazon_link asins=’B00F3J2ITY,B016DQ8A4M,B016DQ8EFM,B00X3CSVT4,B016DQ8JXY,B015DRKQ3U,B015E8UBXS,B01H42J1SS,B01LW1VU9E,B01LWAXD4R’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’0d8a2aaf-e955-11e7-9cb2-e35f16415f94′]
A recent statement from Apple
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.
What they didn’t specify though is how they are able to achieve this.
The conspiracy theories
Some people disseminated a variance of conspiracy theories. The most common is the belief that Apple caused all those issues on purpose, in order to force users to upgrade their iPhones to the latest models. Others support that Apple is trying to move the crowd in their so-called Apple Replacement program. Logical thoughts and concerns indeed. But why did no one think that this strategy may lead users to get over their iPhones and switch to Android devices? Why would Apple risk loosing a piece of their valuable fanbase?
According to another statement from a lab tester
A slower phone is better than a glitchy one that suddenly shuts down. It’s more likely that people would end up replacing a phone that constantly shut down than a phone that’s a little slow.
But still, Apple decided to upgrade those models, knowing that their batteries may not correspond. A move like this would be completely unacceptable in the past for Apple’s high standards. Apple has also decided that the best choice is to slow down those models instead of correcting their mistakes with a free or low cost battery replacement program.
I’ve met a lot [amazon_textlink asin=’B016DQ8EFM’ text=’iPhone 6′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’4d648f2b-e954-11e7-9e61-5b3eb2b4d000′] and [amazon_textlink asin=’B0711KZLRK’ text=’6S’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’badfive-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’57660e05-e954-11e7-9cb2-e35f16415f94′] owners. Some of them are really happy with the overall experience. The thing is that, those people have never upgraded their iOS!
I was preparing an article a few months ago about how “Apple got beaten by everyone”. It was something really difficult as the other companies were continuously releasing something new, futuristic or innovative leaving Apple constantly behind. So I dropped it, because the list grew bigger day by day. I believe that after Steve Job’s death, Apple lost its’ “tech” spirit and is now a company focused on “marketing” alone.
I’m not sure if there is a marketing reason behind all these slow-downs, but for one thing I’m sure: Apple lost it’s glamour. Whether you choose to believe the conspiracy theories or that something else is going on, is completely up to you.