Apple has confirmed it slows down some iPhones using its iOS updates.
The Cupertino-based company issued a statement, days after data from benchmarking tool Geekbench appeared to show Apple’s iOS updates deliberately throttling the performance of some devices.
Geekbench developer John Poole mapped out the performance of iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 units over time.
According to the data, both smartphones suffer a dip in performance following the upgrade to iOS 10.2.1 and 11.2.0.
The former was designed to prevent random shutdown issues that plagued iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S units.
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It appears Apple throttled the CPU inside these iPhone models to prevent the smartphone from shutting down at random intervals.
Geekbench data appears to show a similar fix rolled-out with iOS 11.2.0, however this one was aimed at iPhone 7 units with older batteries.
According to users on social news site Reddit, replacing the batteries in these older units will return performance to its previous level.
The problem is, most iPhone owners are unlikely to assume any performance slowdown in their iPhone is due to an ageing battery.
John Poole said: “This fix will also cause users to think, ‘my phone is slow so I should replace it’ not, ‘my phone is slow so I should replace its battery.”
Apple spoke to technology blog The Verge about the allegations of deliberate throttling.
A spokesperson for the company said, “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.”
In a nutshell, while Apple has admitted it slows down the CPU in some hardware, it is not designed to push users to upgrade to a new iPhone.
There have long been rumours of Apple slowing iPhones with each subsequent software update in order to push users to buy the latest model.
This phenomenon is known as planned obsolescence.
However, the US technology company argues it only slows down the CPU to prevent unexpected shutdowns in smartphones with older lithium-ion batteries.
As the battery life degrades, the phone’s ability to maintain the same level of performance, whilst being powered by a less efficient battery, is compromised.
On some phones, that lack of power can cause sudden shutdowns when the processor is putting too much strain on the battery.