A few months ago, it came to light that Apple had introduced a feature into iOS that slows down processor performance on iPhones as the lithium ion battery degrades.
Now, it’s not news that battery performance decreases over time – it’s just a natural part of having a lithium ion battery, and most phones can benefit from a battery replacement after a couple of years.
And from Apple’s side, it makes sense why they might introduce this slowing down feature – what has been termed “throttling.” Apple says that by throttling an iPhone’s performance, it can prevent unexpected freezes and shutdowns that can result from poor battery life.
The only problem? Apple neglected to tell customers about it. Because of this, it has been speculated that Apple was intentionally slowing down iPhones in order to get customers to purchase the expensive newer, faster models.
We’ve covered the iPhone 6 throttling issue pretty extensively in the past, including the fact that the new iOS 11.3 update includes a battery health feature that allows you to turn the option of throttling on or off.
But still, problems persist.
It has been reported by Business Insider that customers who went to the Apple store looking for an iPhone 7 battery replacement were given the runaround by Apple employees, and faced significant delays in receiving their new batteries.
First, customers who sought an iPhone 7 battery replacement were told that battery life wasn’t the problem, and that the poor performance was a result of memory storage being nearly full. But after returning home and freeing up space on their iPhones, the customers continued to suffer from performance issues.
This is when things started to get complicated. Even after returning to the Apple store seeking a new battery, Apple employees then said that the poor battery life was due to the apps running in the background, and told customers to uninstall and reinstall their apps in order to get them to run more efficiently with iOS updates. According to the employees, the battery health feature reported that there was nothing wrong with the battery.
But, the reports said, this didn’t solve the performance issue, either. The main complaint was that Apple didn’t take into account user experience, and that the Apple Geniuses were unable to find the cause of the problems. All the while, they said it would be weeks before a battery replacement would be available.
So, why would Apple seek to delay customers from getting an iPhone 7 battery replacement?
Simply put, Apple makes the vast majority of its revenue by selling new devices. And since 2014, newer iPhone models haven’t really offered much incentive to upgrade. With the exception of the $1,000 iPhone X, which many customers find to be cost prohibitive, there have been no major design changes, and performance hasn’t been upgraded considerably, either.
If Apple wants to sell more units, they have to give customers a reason to buy – and the argument that your old device is slowing down serves this purpose well.
The fact is, if you’re using an iPhone 6 or later, a new battery could make all the difference, and even make it feel like you’re using a completely new phone. We have always been early adopters, but for the time being, we just don’t see much reason to upgrade to a new iPhone model if you’re shooting short of the iPhone X.
Fortunately, if you are looking to replace your battery, Puls offers an easy option that doesn’t involve trying to state your case at the Apple store – and circumvents the long wait times, as well.
Simply book an appointment for a Puls technician to visit you at the location and time that’s best for you, and they will replace your iPhone 7 battery (or any other device) on the spot, hassle-free. In most cases, your Puls technician can be with you that same day.
When a revolutionary new iPhone model comes out that won’t break the bank, you’ll know it’s time to upgrade. In the meanwhile, you can have what amounts to a brand new phone simply by replacing your iPhone’s battery.
