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

Posted by BeauHD on from the hindsight-is-20/20 dept.

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.

7 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Exactly as they did by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think what they did is about right - apologize for not making it clear, make it cheaper to get a new battery than any replaceable would have been, and then (most importantly) add information so people can tell if a battery is wearing out or not.

    It's not like it's a manufacturing defect, where Apple would actually replace a part. The whole system is acting as designed, and in fact in the best interests of the users - lots of other companies would have just added an info panel and called it good. The batteries are still working just fine. The cheap battery replacement is beyond what they really had to do, but is good customer service.

    I also question between parts and labor if Apple is really making money on the battery replacement at that price. That was just thrown out as a given but who claims that is still a profit?

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Exactly as they did by david_thornley · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm going to suggest that a battery that cost $6 on eBay might not in fact be the same battery Apple uses, and likely has quality issues. If it works for you, great. If it catches fire, well, it's your decision to use that battery.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  2. The first "should" of this whole mess... by Stormwatch · · Score: 5, Insightful

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

    --
    Circumcision is child abuse.
    1. Re:The first "should" of this whole mess... by JohnFen · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They are.

      Unless you are not a very technically competent user.

      There are a lot of decent defenses for getting rid of user-replaceable batteries (I disagree with them all, but they are reasonable arguments).

      This, however, is just a stupid thing to say. The only reason I'm replying to it now is that I'm seeing it more and more often, and someone has to pipe up about it.

      Everyone (including you) knows what people mean by "user replaceable battery": a battery than an ordinary user can replace. If you need spudgers, soldering irons, and skill to do it, then it's not user replaceable.

  3. Informing the users by JohnFen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A simple notice telling users that their battery was tired and the phone is being slowed to prevent unexpected shutoffs would have avoided the entire issue.

  4. If your cell phone CPU can't eventually cause this by tlambert · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If your cell phone CPU can't eventually cause this problem, by drawing more current than it's possible for a worn out battery to provide, triggering a shutdown...

    You probably own a Nokia "feature phone", and not a smart phone.

    Other cell phone vendors have already stated that "Yes, we do the same thing".

    Do you know one company with a sealed battery that's going to want a lawsuit against Apple about this to be successful?

    That's an automatic precedent against them doing the same thing, as well.

  5. This year's "gate" by Sneeka2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If the media wants to find a 'gate, they'll find a 'gate. There's nothing Apple coulda done to prevent it besides BEING PERFECT IN ALL REGARDS AND CREATE PERFECT EVERLASTING PRODUCTS.

    --
    Bitten Apples are still better than dirty Windows...