Tim Cook Says Next iOS Update Will Allow Users To Disable Intentional iPhone Slowdowns

Apple recently admitted to slowing down iPhones intentionally in order to prolong the battery life of older iPhones. While Apple sees no harm in this, there is a section of iPhone consumers who are against the step and would like the control on their devices back. Apple CEO Tim Cook has shared that the next update to iOS 11 will allow users to disable battery performance throttling on their device.

In an interview, Tim Cook said the update will seed next month in a developer release before a wider public rollout:

We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent. This hasn’t been done before.

He also says that the update will more clearly inform users when their iPhone is automatically reducing its performance in an effort to prevent unexpected shutdowns. To that, Cook says, “If you don’t want it, you can turn it off.” Although, he has conceded that this is not recommended and Apple stands by its decision to throttle the CPU performance.

Ever since the news broke out, Apple has taken steps to curb the backlash. Apple conceded that it would cut the price of an out-of-warranty battery replacement from US $79 (Rs. 5000 approx.) to US$29 (Rs. 1850 approx.) for an iPhone 6 or later.

For years, iPhone users claimed to notice a discernible system slowdown with some iOS updates. However, the issue came in the spotlight thanks to a widely circulated Reddit thread.

Following that, Geekbench founder John Poole did some performance testing on various iPhones running different versions of iOS. Poole found that Apple does, in fact, limit performance on older iPhone models with lower-capacity batteries in the interest of battery life and preventing unexpected shutdowns.

iPhone 6s

As Cook suggests, Apple is adamant that this feature is for the betterment of old iPhones. In its apology letter, the company stated:

This feature’s only intent is to prevent unexpected shutdowns so that the iPhone can still be used. Only if these variables require it, iOS will dynamically manage the maximum performance of some system components, such as the CPU and GPU in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns.

Apple currently faces multiple class action lawsuits after admitting to intentionally slowing down iPhones. One such lawsuit is filed by Stefan Bogdanovich and Dakota Speas and claims that Apple’s deliberate effort to throttle CPU performance on the iPhone amounts to “breach of contract.” It also notes that Apple’s behaviour lowers the resale value of existing iPhones and underhandedly coerces iPhone owners to upgrade to newer models.