Apple's troubles aren't over with the systems it uses to slow down iPhones, in case their battery is worn out. Initiatives have been launched in France and the United States to verify the company's behavior, which risks penalties and costly legal actions. On Tuesday, January 9, US Senate Commerce Committee Chair John Thune sent a formal letter to Apple asking a series of questions about how the company decides to slow down iPhones with old batteries. In France, the government agency for consumer protection has launched an investigation to verify any unfair commercial policies on the part of Apple, in the management of batteries and more generally on the subject of so-called “planned obsolescence”.
How did we get to this point
At the end of December, Apple had issued a long letter of apology to the owners of the iPhone, hundreds of millions of people around the world, to respond to the controversy a few weeks earlier about the methods used to slow down its smartphones in the event that the battery is old, to the point of no longer being stable and not guaranteeing normal operation. In practice, on models that are now old or with worn-out batteries, the iOS operating system intervenes to reduce the peaks of energy demand by its components, so that the battery is not subjected to excessive stress that could make it totally unstable and cause sudden shutdown. smartphone (explained more fully here). The problem is that Apple never told users it had adopted this system, leaving them in the dark as to why their iPhones were sometimes slower.
In the letter, Apple apologized for leaving iPhone owners in the dark and confirmed that it has gradually introduced the system to various iPhone models: 6, 6s, 7 (including Plus) and SE. Apple then launched a sort of promotion to replace the batteries by spending 29 euros instead of the classic 89 for all the models that need it, from the iPhone 6 onwards.
The story of the slowed iPhones derives from a technical problem, complex and inevitable because it is linked to the wearing out of the batteries, difficult to explain to the less experienced and which – thanks to the simplifications in the media – has reinforced the cliché: “Apple slows down old iPhones as well buy a new one “. It has also led to confuse the problem with that of “controlled obsolescence”, which exists, but on a different scale and which concerns the inevitable trend in technology (and not only) to produce more and more powerful devices, which can manage software more complex than previous models did. As a result, you need to purchase a new model to use the latest features. In the case of Apple, there was much talk of planned obsolescence in 2013, when iOS 7 was introduced, an operating system that changed many things from the previous version and that caused a marked slowdown in older iPhone models, making them in some cases almost unusable. That update helped fuel the idea that Apple was deliberately slowing down older devices to sell new ones.
In reality, even economically, things are more complex than that. Apple makes significant profits not only from smartphone sales, but also from applications that can be purchased on its App Store. The company therefore has a vested interest in maintaining a very large base of iPhone owners, active and interested in spending money on apps, ebooks, movies, the Apple Music streaming service and storage. iCloud online. If the lifespan of iPhones were purposely limited, many users would be less likely to buy another iPhone, given how short the first one lasted. The same statistics on the use of the various models around the world dispel, at least in part, the myth about the low longevity of Apple's smartphones. IPhone 6s, which went on sale more than three years ago, continue to be the most popular: 21 percent of all active iPhones around the world.
United States
Senator Thune sent a letter to Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, asking how his company has taken into account the reports received during the time by iPhone owners about slowdowns, when the system used by iOS to keep old batteries under control had not yet been made public. The letter also asks if Apple has considered offering refunds to customers who have replaced the battery at full price, before the promotion scheduled for the whole of 2018 to replace the batteries of the iPhones by spending 60 euros less than the normal price began. list.
It also appears that the battery replacement plan is progressing with some difficulty, due to high demand and the inability for some Apple Stores to meet all requests. Some users in the United States reported showing up after making an appointment with a technician and being told to come back another day because the batteries ran out. Others have ended up on long waiting lists, in some cases for weeks, because the requests are so many. The volumes were probably affected by the possibility of obtaining an original replacement for your old iPhone at a much lower price than normal.
France
The French investigation has recently started and is not certain to lead to accusations against Apple. It was initiated by the government consumer protection agency following a complaint from a consumer association called “Stop Planned Obsolescence.” According to its members, Apple would actually push its customers to buy new iPhones by scheduling the release of operating system updates that, from time to time, make older models slower.
The technical reasons illustrated by Apple, and verified by independent analysts, confirm that in the case of worn-out batteries, the system is designed to make old iPhones work and prevent them from suddenly turning off, so there seems to be sufficient technical basis to counter the accusations. Apple, on the other hand, may have some more difficulty in responding to the accusations regarding the failure to communicate this practice, which began more than a year ago without the owners of the iPhones being notified.
Costs
Although it is not yet known exactly how much, it is clear that the affair of iPhones with slowed-down old batteries will have a significant cost for Apple. Barclay's analysts, for example, estimate that the company could sell up to 16 million fewer iPhones this year, as many customers may choose to replace their iPhone 6's battery for about a third of what is usual while keeping their iPhone 6 battery. old smartphone instead of switching to one of the newer models. For Apple, there could therefore be up to $ 10 billion less in revenues, but other analysts are skeptical and believe it is too early to make assessments. However, the new models offer several additional features compared to the iPhone 6s and, in many countries, their sales are driven by telephone operators who offer promotions to buy them in installments or pay them together with the subscription.
