Does Apple deliberately slow down old iPhones? Watchdog claims performance reduced in early models

MAILONLINE ^ | 19 December 2017 | By TIM COLLINS

[dennisw]

The so-called 'slow iPhone phenomenon' has been seen after each phone launch It is claimed Apple intentionally slows older models to force users to upgrade New benchmark tests show that processing power is lower on older models The phenomenon may also has a psychological element according to one study

Apple intentionally throttles the performance of its smartphones when a battery gets too old, a new study has claimed.

A consumer watchdog that evaluates electronic gadgets' performance found that processing power of older models is limited once battery life begins to suffer.

This is not the first time Apple has been accused of the practice, which some believe is an attempt to force users to upgrade to the latest model.

PLANNED IPHONE OBSOLESCENCE? This is not the first time Apple has been accused of deliberately throttling the performance of its older phones.

Explanations for the slowness range from Apple's iOS causing problems on older devices to the firm deliberately slowing down old phones to make people buy the new handsets.

This latter explanation is known as planned, or built-in, obsolescence.

This is the idea that manufacturer's deliberately make their products in such a way that they become out-of-date sooner.

By doing this, the companies can encourage customers to buy the latest model of a certain product.

This also stimulates demand for products because people return again and again.

[Tenacious 1]

You should try running google on a Commodore 64.

[right way right]

Having batteries that you cannot service yourself is planned obsolescence in most phones. I hate that.
I have a Motorola from 2013 and the battery last half as long as when new. I could probably buy a battery but you need a phone surgeon to replace it.
I tried my hand at phone surgery for a broken screen on my last Samsung and lost the patient. I'm not steady enough...well, I sort of melted it too much.

[Chode]

Apple Neutrality Now!!!

[dirtboy]

Got close to 3 years from my iPhone 6, but the battery started to go and it locked up, so I upgraded ... all the way to iPhone7.

[Arlis]

I have a 6S, and it slowed to a snail’s pace with IOS 11....takes 15 or more seconds to open any app.......torture, that’s what I call it.

All by design.....

[1_Inch_Group]

Here’s a review of my current phone from 2007. Still works great, still on the original battery pack.

https://www.cnet.com/products/lg-chocolate-vx8550/review/

Old Nokia neverdie is still in the junk drawer....last time plugged it in, it fired right up.

:)

/get off my lawn *shakes fist in the air*

[Haiku Guy]

Things Apple Does To Annoy Me:

Useless Backups - Apple keeps every backup on the Cloud, instead of the initial and latest backups, so I soon run out of space, and they constantly nag me to buy more. They will not auto backup until I do. I have not found a way to delete the intermediate useless backups. This annoys me.

Autoplay Music - Every time I get in my car Music links to the bluetooth, hijacks my car entertainment system, and blasts the SAME DAMN SONG. I do not know how to stop this. I would uninstall music, but I am not allowed to do this. This annoys me.

Address Book Hell - Every address book I or anybody in my family has gets added to my address book. So I have four entries for every member of my family and my wife’s family. When I delete the extra entries, they keep coming back. When I get a new number, I have to add it to all four. This annoys me.

App Proliferation - I keep getting new apps that I did not request and that I do not want. They crowd out the apps that I do want, and I have to scroll through multiple screens. This annoys me.

Butt-Dailing Control Panel Buttons - The new control panel is easy to access by accident if your phone is in your pocket. Once this happens, you can get into all kinds of trouble, like setting the phone to Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode. You can also start music so it blasts the aformentioned SAME DAMN SONG through the speakers. This annoys me.

So, what I have is a really annoying phone. I have an Amazon Fire tablet that hardly annoys me at all. Maybe it is time to go Android. I am ready for the Devil I don’t know.

[rockrr]

I just read your post to my daughter and (after laughing for five minutes) she said “that’s totally you dad!”. Well done.

[DannyTN]

Would a new battery overcome this?

[minnesota_bound]

#22 https://www.ifixit.com/
You may need a set of small screwdrivers and a guitar pick and maybe a hairdryer.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Maybe it is time to go Android.”

I have an Android. It, too, is demon possessed. I can’t even begin to list the annoyances.

[Swordmaker]

FUD article from the UK MailOnline claiming that Apple throttles older iPhones as the batteries get weaker. If that were true, they'd speed up when the batteries were replaced, an easy task. The actual fact is that older hardware cannot work as fast as the new so it seems slower in in comparison when updated to later versions of iOS. As Apple updates the new iOS, any slowdowns usually disappear for the older models as the OS is optimized to solve the issues. It is certainly not the "old battery" claim. Apple is NOT going to open itself up to a class action law suit from hundreds of millions of older iPhone users over such an practice. Apple does not have the manufacturing capacity to replace 1.2 BILLION iPhones every year, even if they'd like to. This is a pre-Christmas FUD article. You see these every time a new, better iPhone comes out. . . or even a newer version of iOS is released. — PING!

Apple FUD Claiming OLDER Batteries Are
Deliberately Slowing Down Older IPhones
To Induce Users To BUY NEW iPhones!
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me

[Swordmaker]

On the other hand, maybe the processing power is reduced because the batteries are old and dying...

No, these Lithium Ion batteries don't work that way. They don't reduce voltage and amperage, they reduce the time they hold the charge before quitting, but still produce the same volts/amps. It's one of their advantages.

[Swordmaker]

I have done every update on my 5S, and it’s slow as Christmas now. It used to be blazing fast.

Have you done a full FORCE QUIT on it? That can solve both battery run down and slowness on these older iPhones. Hold down the power button and the home button for ten to fifteen seconds until the screen goes blank and the phone actually goes full black. Then wait a few seconds and re-press the power-button. This clears all temporary registers and memory. You won't lose anything. . . but see if it helps.

[Swordmaker]

My battery is fine. No noticeable reduction in holding a charge over 3 years. And I use it A LOT - 4-6 hrs of calls per day. The OS upgrades are not designed for the slower processor. OS 11 will likely be the last full OS upgrade for the 5S.

Your iPhone 5s was released on September 20, 2013. It will be support end of life at five years old and no more iOS updates will support it. . . including security updates unless they are dire, and perhaps not even then.

If history is any indicator, then I would expect Apple to announce the EOL last update that will work on the iPhone 5s in April 2018. April was when they announced the last update that worked on the 5c and 5.

[Hodar]

I believe you are missing the point. After 400 charged, you have lost at least 20% of the charge a new battery would have. By throttling back the processor, your phone burns less power, thereby making it appear the battery capacity has remained higher than it is. Phones going dead is something no one wants.
Paying ~$79 to have the battery replaced should cause the phone to maintain the life you expect, but should also improve performance. Also, as you use the battery, the less it is able to maintain the minimum operating voltage during heavy computation. This would manifest itself as unexpected reboots. Again, by slowing down the processor, the old battery is able to better provide the current, so the minimum voltage can be maintained.
Clever of Apple to do this.

[Swordmaker]

Maybe replace the battery and the old ipHone will perk up. I know that battery replacement is difficult x expensive.

Maybe not. The battery condition has nothing to do with it.

[King Moonracer]

I swear this is happening to my LG.

[Swordmaker]

Yeah Right. A certain product other than Apple. I understand planned obsolesence. But if consumers evenly slightly suspect Apple is playing this game, then there will be a mass exodus back to the Android platform.

Who do you think planted the FUD article? Two guesses if you need them. . . You got it on the first try.

[Tamatoa]

I believe it is true. My family have iPhones and I have noticed the same. Even Comcast, when my bill comes due my service slows down a lot.