Tim Cook: 'Maybe we should have been clearer' over iPhone throttling

ZDNet ^ | January 18, 2018 | By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

[Swordmaker]

In a recent interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledges the company should have been clearer with iPhone owners.

The iPhone throttling issue that Apple brought upon itself last year shows no signs of going away any time soon, but Apple CEO Tim Cook finally acknowledges that the company should have been clearer with iPhone owners.

For those of you who aren't following the story closely, it all started back in July of last year, when Apple released iOS 10.2.1 following reports that iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone SE handsets were shutting down randomly due to cold weather, low battery charge, or battery aging.

The release notes for this update had the following to say:

Improves power management during peak workloads to avoid unexpected shutdowns.

Doesn't say an awful lot, does it?

[zeugma]

That particular app doesn’t give a recharge count. It is also Ad-noxious.

[Truthsearcher]

Except Apple could have made it easy for people to replace batteries, knowing the batteries won last past certain number of charges, they nevertheless insisted on a design that makes replacing them a huge hassle.

[Tenacious 1]

Wow! Thank you for that explanation. It makes sense. And it doesn’t make Apple seem like an evil and greedy engineering obsolescence intensive corporation.

[Swordmaker]

The term “lifetime of the phone” is user subjective, cannot be a universal measurement.

Oh, I agree. I wrote a response to one of the idiot's articles on that very point. Hardware (the iPhone) and a consumable in that device (the battery) are two very different things for lifetime considerations.

Apple specifies the differences in its user agreements and warranties. The idiot ignores that.

My original iPhone, purchased on June 29, 2007, was in continual use for almost eight years with its original battery as it was handed down through various family members until it wound up with my three year old granddaughter as a non-cellular WIFI only, iPod Touch device. . . and was still retaining about 50% charge. That particular device's battery was rated to hold between 350 to 500 cycles before reaching 80%.

I also pointed out that according to Kantar's US statistics the average iPhone user replaces their iPhone every 25 months. Interestingly, the average Android phone user replaces their phones every 18 months. That goes against the meme that iPhone users are always upgrading to the latest and greatest iPhones. . .

[zeugma]

(My pistol self-identifies as an iPad, so you must accept it in gun-free zones, you racist, bigot!)

hahahahahaaha. just noticed that.

[Swordmaker]

That particular app doesn’t give a recharge count. It is also Ad-noxious.

I may have an earlier or paid version. . . don't remember which. No ads.

[Swordmaker]

Except Apple could have made it easy for people to replace batteries, knowing the batteries won last past certain number of charges, they nevertheless insisted on a design that makes replacing them a huge hassle.

Adding ease of battery replacement adds failure points, weight, thickness, complications, openings for dust and other pollutants to the electronics. The batteries have to be encased in plastic, and a connector has to be engineered to be easily handled. . . for a battery that can catch fire if not handled correctly and requires proper disposal. It's an engineering and design decision.

[Swordmaker]

Tim Cook says the next iOS update will allow users to disable intentional battery slowdowns

The Verge—Jan 17, 2018, 8:30pm EST
By Natt Garun

Apple CEO Tim Cook today shared that the next update to iOS 11 will allow users to disable battery performance throttling on their device. The move comes after Apple last month admitted it intentionally slows down iPhones as they get older to prevent issues that may arise as the batteries depreciate.

In an interview with ABC News, Cook said the update will arrive next month in a developer release before a wider public rollout. “We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent,” he says. “This hasn’t been done before.”

Cook also says the update will more clearly inform users when their iPhone is automatically reducing its performance in an effort to prevent unexpected shutdowns. “If you don’t want it, you can turn it off,” Cook says, though he maintains that this is not recommended — something Apple stands by in its apology letter that addressed consumers after the backlash in December. Apple currently faces multiple class action lawsuits after admitting to intentionally slowing down iPhones.

The next iOS 11 developer beta is expected in early February, which means a public release will follow some time in March.