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Big Tech Backlash

Apple being sued over slowing down older iPhones

By Chris Ciaccia , Fox News
Published | Updated
iPhone X

Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, introduces the iPhone X during a launch event in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam - HP1ED9C1I90DE

Apple has admitted that it intentionally slows down older iPhone models to help preserve battery life in older phones. But now the company is being sued for its admission.

According to TMZ, a new class action suit has been filed against the company by Stefan Bogdanovich, an L.A. man and an iPhone 8 user. Bogdanovich said that Apple's slowing down of older iPhone models is not part of an agreement and thinks it is a ploy by Apple to get people to upgrade to new phones.

Apple has not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News about the lawsuit.

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On Wednesday, the theory that Apple slows down older iPhones to get people to upgrade cropped up again after a post on Reddit and some battery testing done by Primate Labs’ John Poole put the issue into the spotlight.

In a statement obtained by TechCrunch in response to the theory, Apple 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.

Apple has further delved into the issue of lithium-ion batteries on its website, which have a limited life span. On the site, Apple notes that the battery designed to retain up to 80 percent of its original charge after 500 charges.

Despite the statement, some iPhone users are not happy with the company, with several taking to social media to express their displeasure.

Others have noted that devices have always been throttled for power management reasons as they get older, but added Apple could have done a better job explaining the situation.

The company released three new iPhone models in September, including the long-awaited iPhone X.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia