In an interview with ABC News, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the upcoming iOS 11 update will contain an option to allow users to disable the system which – in the event of a worn out battery – slows down iPhones to make them more comfortable. stable and prevent sudden shutdowns. Cook said: “We will make the health of the battery visible, so that everything is more transparent, which we have not done previously.” Cook further admitted that the lack of communication on the system, introduced without notifying users, was a mistake on Apple's part and apologized on behalf of the company.
The story of the slowed-down iPhones is costing Apple a lot, not only in economic terms, but also in terms of image and potentially judicial. Legal actions against the company have been announced in several countries, while the government agency for consumer protection is investigating in France. Responding to user criticism, Apple has decided that for the whole of 2018 the replacement of the batteries of most of the iPhones will cost 29 euros and not the classic 89 euros. Many observers have pointed out that if Apple had immediately communicated the existence of a system that slows down iPhones, only if their battery is very old and unstable, it would have been possible to avoid a lot of negative publicity and new rather creative theories on the so-called ” planned obsolescence “.
