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Slashdot Asks: How Should Apple Have Responded To the Battery Controversy?

Yesterday, Apple officially apologized for slowing down older phones in order to compensate for degrading batteries. In a letter to customers, Apple said, "We apologize," offering anyone with an iPhone 6 or later a battery replacement for $29 starting in late January through December 2018 -- a discount of $50 from the unusual replacement cost. They're also promising to add features to iOS that provide more information about the battery health in early 2018.

Apple's response has left many wondering whether or not it is enough. Even though they are discounting the cost of a battery replacement, for example, they are still profiting from each battery replacement. At the end of the day, "Apple only came clean after independent investigation, giving the whole situation an air of underhanded secrecy," writes Macworld. Should Apple have responded differently to the battery controversy? In the first place, should Apple even issue a software update to older devices to purposefully throttle the CPU and prevent the phones from randomly shutting down when experiencing rapid power draw?

Quinn Nelson via Snazzy Labs explains the controversy and how it is largely exaggerated.

3 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Re:By giving away free phones to everyone by ichimunki · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not enough. Full on seppuku is the only way past this type of shame.

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    I do not have a signature
  2. Re:The first "should" of this whole mess... by tlambert · · Score: 1, Funny

    The first "should" of this mess is: batteries should be user-replaceable.

    They are.

    Unless you are not a very technically competent user.

    Then there's the Eastern European guy in the Mall kiosk who will do it for you with parts from stolen iPhones bought off eBay for about $50.

  3. Re: Option by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Like those 'weird' battery low/critical messages on my laptop. What is battery? What could it mean? I took it to a tech shop so they could explain it to me.