Senator John Thune (R-SD) has asked Apple to answer questions before Congress about the company systematically slowed down older iPhones.
Apple confirmed that it was slowing down older iPhone in a statement that was published at the end of December. “Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices,” the company wrote in a statement. “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,” the statement continued.
“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,” Apple continued. “We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”
Some consumers accused Apple of slowing down devices to force users to buy the latest model. Now, Senator John Thune, who acts as the Chair of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, is asking Apple to answer some questions about their practices. He has told the tech giant that they have until January 23 to answer his inquiry.
Consumers have begun to file lawsuits by users who claim that the slow-down tactic is used to make them purchase Apple’s latest model.
In countries such as France, “planned obsolescence” is against the law. French authorities have begun to investigate whether or not Apple has violated this law.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.