Slashdot Mirror


Apple Will Replace Old iPhone Batteries Regardless of Diagnostic Test Results (macrumors.com)

After apologizing to customers for slowing older iPhones down as the batteries degrade, Apple has started offering battery swaps for $29. This has led to some confusion as Apple did not clarify how it qualified batteries as eligible for the discounted replacement, as the Apple Genius Bar uses a diagnostic test to check whether a battery can retain 80 percent of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. According to Mac Rumors, Apple has confirmed that they will replace the battery if your iPhone 6 or later even if it passes a Genius Bar diagnostic test. From the report: Apple has since independently confirmed to MacRumors that it will agree to replace an eligible battery for a $29 fee, regardless of whether an official diagnostic test shows that it is still able to retain less than 80 percent of its original capacity. The concession appears to have been made to mollify the anger of customers stoked by headlines suggesting that Apple artificially slows down older iPhones to drive customers to upgrade to newer models. Anecdotal reports also suggest that customers who paid $79 to have their battery replaced before the new pricing came into effect on Saturday, December 30, will receive a refund from Apple upon request.

191 comments

  1. But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Tim Cock figured that it is cheaper to replace a few stupid batteries with slightly less profit than to completely abandon planned obsolescence trick up his ass.

    1. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android Nexus 6P user here.

      Instead of throttling, Android just lets it die at 60%->0% instantly it I do any heavy load.

      Battery is maybe 400 charges old.

      This isnâ(TM)t an apple phenomenon but a battery one. Android is just as bad and handles it just as poorly.

      Yes I can change my own battery but most folks break their digitizer the first time they attempt it.

    2. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They will NOT. I went in already for mine and they said I could not get a battery for $29 price because mine past a 1 Minute test they âoesaidâ the did on my phone. When I couldnâ(TM)t understand this answer they gave me Appleâ(TM)s 1-800 number and a VERY rude supervisor named Audrey at this number said she looked up my visit to the Apple store and saw the test results and that they were correct in saying Apple will not honor that price to me. They wouldnâ(TM)t even give my phone a try to see how crappy it is. I literally lay it down and wait for things to load as it spins and spins. My phone also randomly every single day will not respond to the touch screen. Apparently know as âoeTouch diseaseâ. They said they didnâ(TM)t know of that and wanted to replace my screen for $189. I asked them (store & supervisor on phone)to google Apples letter they had published about this issue saying replacing the screen would NOT help and neither of them would do so. Apple is full of crap and ripping off millions of people. #stopappleslies #appleisrippingusoff

    3. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android Nexus 6P user here.

      isnâ(TM)t

      Are you sure about that

    4. Re: But they will keep throttling by Khyber · · Score: 0

      You're lying, and here's how we can tell.

      Slashdot has a special bug/feature. It doesn't support Apple's keyboard inputs 100%, especially some of the fairly common punctuation marks.

      Android doesn't have this problem on this site.

      Your post has the Apple-specific bug visible for everyone else to see.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    5. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Setup as a new phone. Odds are the battery has nothing to do with what you describe.

      Also ensure the two bottom screws are tight.

    6. Re: But they will keep throttling by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      That's pretty funny. I hope he has both phones, and maybe his Nexus 6P can't handle the "heavy load" of posting to slashdot, but that is funny. Or it's a clever troll, but I doubt it.

    7. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pixel user here. Fuck Apple.

    8. Re: But they will keep throttling by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Consider this - this guy is lying, anonymously, on a web forum, to defend a product that he almost certainly has no personal stake in.

      It really ought to punch a hole in time with sheer patheticness. Why it doesn't is an enduring mystery.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    9. Re: But they will keep throttling by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Top marks for telling us the name of the supervisor. That was crucial to the fucking story, as were the hashtags.

      Slashdot doesn't use hashtags, mate.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    10. Re:But they will keep throttling by MoarSauce123 · · Score: 1

      Looks like it. The choice is clear: either have a crippled phone or give Apple more money. I guess folks dumb enough to buy an iPhone will claim that this is awesome customer service.

    11. Re: But they will keep throttling by parkinglot777 · · Score: 1

      They will NOT. I went in already for mine and they said I could not get a battery for $29 price because mine past a 1 Minute test they âoesaidâ the did on my phone. When I couldnâ(TM)t understand this answer they gave me Appleâ(TM)s 1-800 number and a VERY rude supervisor named Audrey at this number said she looked up my visit to the Apple store and saw the test results and that they were correct in saying Apple will not honor that price to me. They wouldnâ(TM)t even give my phone a try to see how crappy it is. I literally lay it down and wait for things to load as it spins and spins. My phone also randomly every single day will not respond to the touch screen. Apparently know as âoeTouch diseaseâ. They said they didnâ(TM)t know of that and wanted to replace my screen for $189. I asked them (store & supervisor on phone)to google Apples letter they had published about this issue saying replacing the screen would NOT help and neither of them would do so. Apple is full of crap and ripping off millions of people. #stopappleslies #appleisrippingusoff

      You misunderstood the time line and now you are complaining? They will NOT do it now because it is not the time. If you carefully read the blog posted on ./ last Friday, you would have known that the reduced price will start from late January 2018, not now. Also, others who side with the AC parent didn't carefully read anything as well. I guess it is typical slashdoters these days.

      Apple says in its letter that batteries are “consumable components,” and is 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 usual replacement cost.

    12. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Old news, if you carefully read the story from last Saturday
      https://www.macrumors.com/2017/12/30/apple-29-usd-iphone-battery-replacements-now-avail/

      apple is in full PR and damage control; things change daily

      I guess your just a typical slashdoter.

    13. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Expect Google offered to replace faulty Nexuses for free - while apple is charging for a mere batery teplacement.

    14. Re: But they will keep throttling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're lying, and here's how we can tell.

      You're a paid Google Shill, and here's how we can tell: You assume that if one has glorious Nexus 6S there is no way not to to use it to post on Slashdot, but use a Mac instead. BTW you think that the Slashcode bug that can't properly handle UTF-8 is Apple's fault.

  2. Profit as always... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Apple really is the master of profit, you have to give it to them! The reports say it costs them $10 for the battery replacement, so they will charge you $29 and make a few quick million from the whole debacle...

    1. Re:Profit as always... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      $4 for a iphone 6 battery , $2 for a iphone 7

    2. Re:Profit as always... by CaffeinatedTech · · Score: 1

      Yeah and get people back into an Apple store so they can have another crack at the upsell.

    3. Re:Profit as always... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The reports say it costs them $10 for the battery replacement

      Repairs cost more than the parts? Stop the presses.

    4. Re:Profit as always... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      apple fucking over their customers? Stop the presses. apple customers elated to be fucked over? Special edition!!

  3. apple is for the dumb by sittingnut · · Score: 0

    seriously only the dumb will buy apple after this incident, which exposed even to the dumbest in very blatant fashion, what everyone with above average intelligence already knew, apple's total disrespect for its customer base.

    apple buyers after this , and all who buy products that prevent repairs and battery changes, are born idiot losers by definition.

    1. Re:apple is for the dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      seriously only the dumb will buy apple after this incident, which exposed even to the dumbest in very blatant fashion, what everyone with above average intelligence already knew, apple's total disrespect for its customer base.

      Apples products generally are pretty reliable, and while this issue was handled badly, the idea of making a patch that kept the phone working, is not a bad one. You just need to let the customer's know.

      That being said, there is no way in hell I'm paying for crazy apple prices. The cheap chinese knockoff blu phone may be technologically inferior, and may even have chinese spyware, but I can buy what 8 of those for the latest apple product?

      Basically I'm not too worried about apple disrespecting its customer base though agree it is fair game to ditch apple for this kind of thing.. Still, very few companies respect customers these days. Just try getting Amazon customer support to do anything that isn't already automated. They wouldn't even price match their own item from less than 7 days ago, though you could return the whole thing. In fact I'm quitting prime again and trying to see what the options are at Walmart and Newegg are for a time. Sure they probably don't respect me any more, but it is about the only consequence I can give when they ignore me as a customer.

      BTW, every time Amazon does something stupid like refuses a reasonable pricematch and your in the return period, I'd seriously consider returning the item. That costs them money and is the only real way you have to punish them. I believe Walmart is pretty much stopping matching prices too, or at least my local one is.

      Of course if you have a local business that actually will work with you and is reasonable, then by all means, please, keep giving them business.

    2. Re:apple is for the dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      seriously only the dumb will buy apple after this incident, which exposed even to the dumbest in very blatant fashion, what everyone with above average intelligence already knew, apple's total disrespect for its customer base.

      apple buyers after this , and all who buy products that prevent repairs and battery changes, are born idiot losers by definition.

      Do you even understand what the slowing down does? if you have a bad battery, you have a choice between no phone, or a slow phone.. guess which one is more useful? I think it's actually a smart feature but they handled it quite poorly.

      You assume it is smart to buy products that are cheaper; money is not necessarily the main factor when people decide what fits better.
      Some of people change phones regularly; I don't care if the battery last for years, nor if I can change it myself. It's totally irrelevant when it comes to my choice of phone.

      If battery replacement is a factor for you, don't buy Apple.
      It's incredibly narrow minded to believe that people that have different priorities, or maybe different financial abilities, are stupid.

    3. Re:apple is for the dumb by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 2

      Apple takes steps to ensure my privacy (even from them.) Safari is pretty good out of the box, there's a single checkbox for "don't send stuff to Apple" in the settings, and they let me give apps whatever permissions I want, not whatever they ask for when they install. Android would require learning a new distro, installing it, finding an alternative to GApps (which is supposed to be fairly hard.) All in all, an Android phone is a project. Which would be fine, except I use my phone as a way to get things done.

      I think of an Android device like I do a FreeBSD one. On paper, the openness is awesome, and as a second device I may fuck up, fine. But not as my primary.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    4. Re: apple is for the dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It pushes you to buy a new phone. That's what it does. The rest is marketing and bullshit.

    5. Re: apple is for the dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You still believe that? Hah. You're funny. Apple gives the Chinese government so much information that they're allowed to compete in the Chinese domestic market.

    6. Re: apple is for the dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the other hand android devices (mobile developer here) are garbage. Slowing down the device is a good technical solution, they just flubbed up the PR for it. An android device in a similar situation (aging battery) just crashes.

    7. Re: apple is for the dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just 3 months ago there were research, aka Fake News, saying Apple does not slow down older iPhones. That reassured the cum garglers just in time to sheepishly buy the iPhone X.

    8. Re: apple is for the dumb by nachtelfjeiu · · Score: 1

      Apple designed their chips to be like this in the first place. So there's no excuse that this is a good solution. It's a screwup by Apple, whether you blame hardware design or software. And in either case, their arrogant attitude towards their customers is astonishing.

  4. Iphone by Sir+Lurkalot · · Score: 2

    Good show on apples behalf...

    1. Re:Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really.

      A good show would be either replacing the battery for free or adding a low battery warning to their firmware while allowing users to choose to restore full performance without requiring them to make another purchase.

    2. Re:Iphone by msauve · · Score: 1

      My wife has an iPhone 5s, you insensitive clod.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    3. Re:Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or adding a low battery warning to their firmware

      Legitimate (non-troll) question: How does the iPhone not have a low battery warning? Every cell phone I've ever owned tells me that the battery is getting low and I need to charge it. My laptop does the same thing. My mp3 player...same. How/Why is the iPhone different?

    4. Re:Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The GP didn't mean that kind of low battery warning, the GP meant a low capacity warning. ie you've been using your phone for a year now and that means it can only charge to 70% of the capacity it did when you bought it.

    5. Re:Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Restoring full performance would just make affected phones reboot under heavy load. No-one wants that.

      How do Android phones deal with this problem? Do they throttle the CPU too? Do people not keep the same one long enough for this to crop up?

      Despite all the noise on slashdot about user-replaceable batteries I can count on one hand the number of people I've known to buy one.

    6. Re:Iphone by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Well, Apple behavior is conditioned by the number of class action lawsuits that have been filed.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    7. Re:Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Restoring full performance would just make affected phones reboot under heavy load.

      Why would the phone reboot? Why would it not simply just run out of battery sooner?

      I have half a dozen old Android phones stretching back to 2009. They work just fine, as fast as they used to (not terribly), no rebooting - they just need to be recharged more often. A number of mine have user-exchangeable batteries, and I usually bought third-party replacements for those every 12-18 months. None of my recent phones do that anymore, which makes it a lot harder to refresh the battery life.

    8. Re:Iphone by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 0

      lets not tell everyone that the cost of a battery is likely $5 or less.

      yeah, apple's really doing you a FAVOR, right?

      (sigh).

      soldered down things, glued together shells, FUCK THEM for being so anti-repair. no reason for this other than $$$

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    9. Re: Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Batteries in iPhones are trivial to replace actually. Two screws, pull tab or two and a connector.

    10. Re:Iphone by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Legitimate (non-troll) question: How does the iPhone not have a low battery warning?

      It's not that the charge is low, which of course there's a warning for, it's that the battery no longer has the ability to handle a surge. What was happening before was that the phone would shut down when a processor-intensive task would be invoked. So Apple made a change in the OS that would instead throttle the CPU in those circumstances, avoiding the shutdown in return for the activity taking a bit longer to execute.
      Seems like a reasonable response. Apple's mistake was what it so often it is - they didn't communicate.

    11. Re:Iphone by supremebob · · Score: 1

      iOS has a bad battery warning system as well, and has had it since iOS 10.2.1. Since there are a few stubborn Slashdotters here who fail to believe this, here is a link to the Apple tech support article for it:

      https://support.apple.com/en-u...

      What's been missing from this warning is a mention that you will get reduced CPU performance in this state in order to prevent the phone from randomly shutting off when the battery gets below a 40% charge. In my case, the throttling didn't seem to work and my phone (an iPhone 6) randomly shut itself off anyway until I got the battery replaced.

      Unfortunately, I got by battery replaced back when they still cost $79. I think that someone at Apple owes me a refund.

    12. Re:Iphone by Aqualung812 · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, I got by battery replaced back when they still cost $79. I think that someone at Apple owes me a refund.

      I don't know if you saw that bit, but they literally do owe you a refund. They've agreed to refund the difference for people that replaced the battery on a 6 or newer before the discount.

      --
      Grammer Nazis - I mod you "troll" unless you actually add something on-topic. Yes, I know I have mispellings in my sig.
    13. Re:Iphone by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

      Because if a processor is at 100% and the battery is worn and gives less energy required by the processor, it wont run out faster, it is a physical failure. Essentially a brownout.

    14. Re: Iphone by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

      In the SE and earlier, yes, but after the 7 and up became water resistant it takes more effort if you want to restore that capability. For instance, I tend to take mine into a pool whenever I get around one (not often enough, but still). If I did my own battery I would not trust it could handle that.

    15. Re:Iphone by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      I have an old iPhone 4S and a friend of mine just bought 6month ago an iPhone 4Sx (don't know the x ... a brand new iPhone 4).
      Actually from the form factor they are my favourites.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    16. Re:Iphone by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 2

      Well,
      if you like to buy a $5 battery and spend an hour fiddeling with opening your old iPhone, getting the battery out, put the new in and closing it again, and even have fun with it ...
      THEN: you should simply buy such a battery on eBay or Amazon, can't be so hard.

      I for my part rather drop it at an Apple store and go into the cinema while they fix it, or sit in the sun with a beer and take a nice meal.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    17. Re: Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The issue is how batteries work. Think of having a flashlight, with new batteries it is super bright, as the batteries discharge the light begins to dim. Batteries only have peak power when fully charged, as you use the charge stored in the battery, the power you get drops so instead of say getting 14 volts, you get 12 volts. While lithium batteries have a pretty flat curve which helps reduce this, there still is a reduction in power. Apples solution which is not a bad one is to limit the processor so that it canâ(TM)t spike past the power the battery can provide causing damage to phone or having it crash.

      As processors get more powerful this will become more important and probably was not really an issue with the original iPhones or even android phones as the processors were pretty weak.

      The problem with all rechargeable batteries comes from the fact that the degrade, so after a year while you might see your battery at 100% it isreally only around 80%, this has a big impact on the power curve since the best power is near the top of the curve.

      Really this looks more like functionality around standard power management, which is actually good. That said, they really flubbed the identification and response to the problem. For users it would be nice to have a gauge showing the battery life remaining as well as its impact on performance.

    18. Re: Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would hazard a guess that Androids power management does the same thing. However with Android a lot of phones have weak processors and are already so laggy that most people donâ(TM)t notice it that much.

      For higher end phones the fact that most receive few updates means that the slowness happens over time and there is no event which occurs which results a large change in the phone, which is where most people seem to notice the problem. Those users are often ones to replace their phone every couple years so probably get rid of their homes before they notice any real issue.

    19. Re: Iphone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Apple told users the truth, they may have simply had the battery replaced, rather than buying a new phone. Even worse is the implication regarding Apple battery lifespan - this issue is just unknown on Android. Could it be that Apple batteries have a lower lifespan? It is obvious Apple pulled off a huge scam on its own fans.

  5. Re: You look like a flaming faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Batterygate: we know what is best for our customers

  6. "Anger" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...the anger of customers stoked by headlines...

    Anger stoked by headlines and not facts seems to be key here.

    I'd say the low IQ twitter crowd en masse has done it again.

    1. Re:"Anger" by Tony+Isaac · · Score: 1

      Would you like to elaborate on what those "facts" are that refute the headlines?

  7. Replaced today without trouble by Andrew+Lindh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I had my old iPhone 6 battery replaced today for $29+tax. The free "Battery Life" app said the raw data on the battery was about 39% of capacity (700mAh of 1810mAh) while the in-store Apple diag said it was 91% good.. The Apple Genius only asked if I was sure I wanted it replaced. I said, "yes please". Then they gave me the speech about everything is void if they find 3rd party parts in the phone and would NOT replace a non-apple battery at all. It took them 2 hours. After the replacement the free battery app says 100% good (1810mAh of 1810mAh). All I know is the old battery only lasted 15 minutes playing Jedi Challenges... I have not had time to try the new battery yet.

    1. Re:Replaced today without trouble by jittles · · Score: 1

      I had my old iPhone 6 battery replaced today for $29+tax. The free "Battery Life" app said the raw data on the battery was about 39% of capacity (700mAh of 1810mAh) while the in-store Apple diag said it was 91% good.. The Apple Genius only asked if I was sure I wanted it replaced. I said, "yes please". Then they gave me the speech about everything is void if they find 3rd party parts in the phone and would NOT replace a non-apple battery at all. It took them 2 hours. After the replacement the free battery app says 100% good (1810mAh of 1810mAh). All I know is the old battery only lasted 15 minutes playing Jedi Challenges... I have not had time to try the new battery yet.

      I'm going to have an 8 year old iPad battery replaced tomorrow. We'll see what their battery tester says with that. Paying full price for it though. $100.

    2. Re:Replaced today without trouble by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you have to sign a waiver before the repairs saying you would not take part in any class action lawsuit ? Thats the kind of scummy thing apple would do.

    3. Re:Replaced today without trouble by AmiMoJo · · Score: 0

      I can see I'm going to have an argument about third party batteries with them then.

      My girlfriend had this problem with her original battery, and I told her to get a genuine one but she decided to get a third party replacement for 1/3rd the cost. Now Apple have admitted to this flaw I expect them to install a new, genuine battery. By rights they should do it for free.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:Replaced today without trouble by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've not seen anywhere that this covers iPad batteries. Due to the sheer volume of space in an iPad there should be plenty of space for a huge battery that can deal with the current spikes produced by the processor, even on a well aged battery. Unless apple chinced out on the batteries in those things and they are mostly full of air.

    5. Re:Replaced today without trouble by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It had to be the original battery?!

      I had mine replaced by a non-apple repairer some time back (BECAUSE THEY SLOWED MY PHONE DOWN). I was going to take up this replacement though, because the one I have is now also pretty crap at holding a charge.

      This is ridiculously anti-competitive. They'll have serious issues enforcing that in lots of the non-US western world I suspect..

    6. Re:Replaced today without trouble by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      Interesting. I've got an iPhone 6s that's a year and a half old, if not 2 years- I just tried the Battery Life app from "Utilities" (not sure if this is the same battery life app you've mentioned) and my original battery reads, "Perfect" at 99% capacity.
      I've read that it's bad for the battery to leave your phone on the charger overnight, which I did with older phones. Reportedly this can overheat the battery and shorten their lifespan. With this phone, I generally only charge it first thing in the mornings while I'm eating breakfast and taking a shower (not at the same time!), approximately 1 hour, to 75 minutes all in all. The battery's not always up to 100% charge before I have to leave but it's usually still in the high 90% range at that point. Maybe this strategy is paying off.
      It also helps that I'm on wifi almost all day, at work and home, whereas I'm sure if I had an outdoor job and needed to rely more on battery draining cellular, an hour would be not be enough time to restore the phone to a decent charge.
      App-wise, I do run "Life360" 24/7 so that would still be some constant drain. Lastly, for nearly all of my other apps I've disabled, "Background Refresh" in Settings, that helps a great deal with battery charge life, and thus probably ultimately, battery capacity life.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    7. Re:Replaced today without trouble by jittles · · Score: 1

      I've not seen anywhere that this covers iPad batteries. Due to the sheer volume of space in an iPad there should be plenty of space for a huge battery that can deal with the current spikes produced by the processor, even on a well aged battery. Unless apple chinced out on the batteries in those things and they are mostly full of air.

      No, it was not covered under this. But my iPad was acting wonky recently. WHen on battery power you would not be able to type anything it was so slow. I took it in and they tested it an the test indicated that the battery was about to fail, and that it was not aging properly. They replaced the entire device for $100.

  8. Did you have to sign anything by rsilvergun · · Score: 0

    just curious. There's a lot of talk about lawsuits going on and the $29 battery sounds a bit too good to be true.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the $29 battery sounds a bit too good to be true.

      Not that I have an iPhone, but the $29 battery does not sound too good to be true to me. If it was my phone, I would still be mad. They built something with a design flaw, then covered it up by slowing down phones. Now they want me to pay them to fix it?

      Does anyone know if Apple is making money off of this?

    2. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Andrew+Lindh · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes... I signed for the work order and pickup. It was mostly a push about Apple will not cover 3rd party parts or be responsible for any data loss and they may use new or "equivalent" parts. There's a lot of usual service language about warranty and claims and not being responsible for other stuff. I would guess there would be something enforceable about me paying and accepting a discounted battery as the resolution for any performance complaints. I'll take the $30 battery including the labor to install it. I spent more on a new battery for my Android phone and I had to take it apart myself to install it. I think Apple should have been more up front about reducing the CPU speed on old batteries to ensure phone stability and usability. Maybe they would have sold more replacements at full price if they were honest about the battery health vs. performance. My ThinkPad has a battery health tester so I know what's going on and it does not slow my CPU, it just runs for less time until I buy a new battery. Batteries are consumable but companies should not be doing sneaky things to hide the issues.

    3. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course they are. apple does nothing for free.

    4. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Mal-2 · · Score: 1

      Laptops don't go through the same degree of power variance that phones do, and also they are generally configured to run slower on battery anyhow. That's how they can advertise -- and actually deliver -- eight or nine hour run times.

      I don't let my hacked Chromebook do any of that shit. No dimming the display, no throttling the CPU, no switching off the WiFi (because it doesn't always switch back on). It still runs three to three and a half hours with a Minecraft server running in the background. That's long enough for me to be "off the leash", as that was the optimistic runtime of laptops on batteries just ten years ago. Longer runtimes are nice, but I got quite used to not having them, and now I prefer to keep my experience as pleasant as possible rather than maximize battery life.

      If I do have to replace the battery, it will be as simple as swapping out the SSD. Take off the back (13 screws), then the bracket retaining the part in question. Replace, and reassemble. It's a ten minute job, though the lack of NVRAM on Chromebooks does mean rEFInd is probably going to have a seizure on the first boot after the swap.

      --
      How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
    5. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Demena · · Score: 1

      Might I ask exactly what "design flaw" you are talking about?

    6. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Demena · · Score: 1

      You are correct. At $29 they will take a loss on the battery replacements.

    7. Re:Did you have to sign anything by geekmux · · Score: 1

      You are correct. At $29 they will take a loss on the battery replacements.

      So you have access to validated internal cost detail for a company who buys this specific component in massive bulk?

      And regardless if you are technically correct here, this move by Apple exists for two reasons; to keep you as a customer, and to maintain share price. Both of those are worth a fuckton more than a few dollars lost on the handful of people who managed to do more than just bitch about their crappy battery life.

    8. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Demena · · Score: 2

      So you have access to validated internal cost detail for a company who buys this specific component in massive bulk?

      It would not matter if Apple got them free. The major cost is plant and labour. The cost of an employee and the place for him to do it is way in excess of what apple want ($29) for the service. They probably did not make much at $79. Remember they also have to accept the breakages that happen as an earlier poster mentioned happened to hime. He got a brand new phone for his $29. That was part of the cost of doing business, fixing the phones.

      And regardless if you are technically correct here, this move by Apple exists for two reasons; to keep you as a customer, and to maintain share price. Both of those are worth a fuckton more than a few dollars lost on the handful of people who managed to do more than just bitch about their crappy battery life.

      Well, you are not wrong in that. But how is Apple wrong in this? And it works well for me. Any time I have a problem I squawk and I get a response. Problem solved. It is one of the reasons I am a customer. No more than nominal bullshit in the customer service which proves to be excellent.

    9. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please dont waste others time with your ignorance. I realise its from standard apple worshippers playbook to deny all issues with apple devices but take the time to read the comments. IM sure you might stumble upon what people are claiming the flaw is. Sometimes acting stupid leads people to think that you actually are.

    10. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Demena · · Score: 1

      I think looking at your response is enough for people to decide who is stupid and who is not. Arrogance is no argument.

    11. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And false ignorance is? Go shill somewhere else.

    12. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What does it matter? Apple has over $600 Billion in cash sitting in off shore accounts. F**k those guys.

    13. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Demena · · Score: 1

      I asked a leading question and you refused to answer it. Any shilling I am doing is with facts. I use a lot of Apple gear because it is best and cheapest for what I require of it. That does not make me a shill. But even if it was I rather be that than what I dub thee, "shrill". Go shit somewhere else.

    14. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Wycliffe · · Score: 1

      You are correct. At $29 they will take a loss on the battery replacements.

      So you have access to validated internal cost detail for a company who buys this specific component in massive bulk?

      My guess is it isn't as much as a loss as it is a wash. The part+shipping is probably only about $9. That leaves $20 for labor, building costs, and accidental breakage. $20 likely wouldn't cover all that on an ongoing basis but as the employees are already on the payroll, the building is already there, etc... then it should mostly let them break even while helping with the Public Relations. Throw in a few upsells while people are in the store and they might even come out a little ahead if you only look at parts+labor.

      As a side note, I personally would love for this to blow up so badly that companies start having user replaceable batteries again but Apple has instead decided that thinner is better even when that thinness is a determent to features like user replaceable batteries and longer battery life.

    15. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL sure while apple shits all over you and you enjoy it.

    16. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Demena · · Score: 1

      If you consider actually, physically saving my life 'shitting all over me' then I would have to agree with you. Thanks to that Apple has put you of through the misery of communication with me because I remain alive. Besides you can't tell shit from rose petals.

    17. Re:Did you have to sign anything by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      $20 likely wouldn't cover all that on an ongoing basis but as the employees are already on the payroll, the building is already there, etc..

      You seem to be assuming that the employees would be doing nothing instead of replacing batteries. If replacing batteries takes them away from other necessary functions, Apple has to hire additional people. If they have to hire too many additional people, they run out of room and have to pay more for the space.

      Look up "opportunity cost". Every employee replacing a battery isn't doing something else.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    18. Re:Did you have to sign anything by Wycliffe · · Score: 1

      $20 likely wouldn't cover all that on an ongoing basis but as the employees are already on the payroll, the building is already there, etc..

      You seem to be assuming that the employees would be doing nothing instead of replacing batteries. If replacing batteries takes them away from other necessary functions, Apple has to hire additional people. If they have to hire too many additional people, they run out of room and have to pay more for the space.

      No, I'm assuming that $20 mostly covers the labor. Even if they get a mad influx and have to hire a few temps and set up card tables to do it, it should mostly cover the labor. They likely wouldn't expand their space for a temporary extra busy time. Apple is used to temporary surges when they release a new phone, etc. so should already have a plan in place to handle surges.

  9. But will like for any excuse... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    to not do it. They denied all seven company 6S pluses I tried today. For most, they claimed the glass wasnâ(TM)t perfect so they wouldnâ(TM)t replace the battery at any price. Another one is missing the volume button so they refused to replace the battery unless we also paid to fix it. Apple wants you to buy a new phone.

  10. What? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    What about my iPhone 4, Apple? No free battery replacement for me?

    What about my iPhone 3GS?

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you are that far behind you are not the kind of customer apple wants anyways.

    2. Re:What? by magusxxx · · Score: 1

      I wondered the same thing about my 5c. I documented in another Slashdot article the battery degradation which occurred over several months after updating from 8.3.4 to 10.x. In a nutshell, from 90+% down to 60+%.

      Others on Apple's Support Forum mentioned the same thing. And over the entire history of the 10.x OS updates.

      --
      Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
    3. Re:What? by Demena · · Score: 1

      My iPhone 3s is still running and it still gets a full days use as anything (and everything) but a phone (no sim). Never had its battery replaced. Only reason it is on the shelf is that it no longer runs current software.

      I do not know if Apple would put a new battery in it . But in the case of 3,4, and 5 lines, they have never had this software in them as the cpus did not drink so much. No reason they should be free or discounted.

    4. Re:What? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      It seems I needed to put a /sarcasm at the end of my comment after all.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  11. Re: You look like a flaming faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And..., the moronic operating system verbal baiting battles begin again...

    Iphone is better.

    No, android gives the user more control!

    You're too poor to afford Apple! Homosexual!

    I thought Windows made a good phone.

    You're the guy who bought a Windows Phone!

    Ad naseum... This fighting about apple vs android has been old for years now. Give it a rest people. Happy New Year everyone, be safe and warm. Best wishes to everyone. AC.

  12. Cool by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    I have a refurbished 6S, which I'm now planning on getting a new battery for in December.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  13. What?!?! by freeze128 · · Score: 1

    "Apple has confirmed that they will replace the battery if your iPhone 6 or later even if it passes a Genius Bar diagnostic test."

    There are too many IF's in that sentence.

  14. Re: You look like a flaming faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nokia FTW

  15. Re: You look like a flaming faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am no one's 'shill'. I am my own man, 58 orbits around the Sun. Your post just justifies mine. Grow up some son, it's time, don't you think? Please consider giving up on the 'hating' in life, we are all in this together, so why not get along? Blessings for you and yours. Regards, AC.

  16. Sensible but poor communications by Camembert · · Score: 3, Informative

    I do think it is not a bad idea to manage the old batteries the way they did it. My worn out iPhone 6 Plus (could keep 1/3 of the original charge) didn t suddenly shut down but yes it slowed down, and after battery replacement 2 weeks ago it works well again. Replacement took 2 hours, a reasonable small inconvenience after 4 years, really I prefer a slim phone with better water resistance over a battery lid.
    The one thing where they messed up was communications, they should have been transparent about it from the beginning and most people would turn have found it reasonable.

  17. They also have refunds... by stazeii · · Score: 5, Informative

    Had my battery replaced on 12/17/2017. They announced this later than that, so I contacted Apple about a refund for the $50. Turns out they have a refund program if you had your battery replaced on or after the 14th of December. So, give them a call and they'll get your refund processed.

  18. They built something that obeys laws of physics by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Informative

    If it was my phone, I would still be mad. They built something with a design flaw

    The "design flaw" is that batteries are batteries and electronic circuits take a minimum amount of power to run. In other words not a flaw, it's how the real universe works.

    The fix they delivered ensured that your phone would not just simply die randomly if the battery was getting really old. Instead it would do it's best to stay on for you.

    Phones that are not doing this are screwing you over, because ALL PHONES WORK THIS WAY since they all have electronics and batteries. You can certainly find other makers of phones that let you phone randomly crash as the battery ages - if your preference is random data loss by all means choose that option.

    In the meantime Apple users now enjoy not only a sane battery management policy that keeps the phones alive longer, they also enjoy cheap battery replacement.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by larryjoe · · Score: 2

      If it was my phone, I would still be mad. They built something with a design flaw

      The "design flaw" is that batteries are batteries and electronic circuits take a minimum amount of power to run. In other words not a flaw, it's how the real universe works.

      This wasn't a design flaw, which is when a design decision results in unexpected behavior. In this case, the results were consistent with the design intent.

      The problem is that the intent was not in the user's best interests. Yes, slowing down the system to conserve energy is a good thing, but only if minimal usability is preserved. Otherwise, there is no difference from simply letting the battery drain completely. In either case, the system would be unusable.

      In many other systems with consumable parts (e.g., toner in laser printers, oil or gas in cars, hard disk drives, batteries in cars), the system warns the user that the consumable part needs to be replaced. Can you imagine the outrage if electric cars silently limited max speed to 10 mph for a battery that is nearing the end of its life cycle instead of just flashing a battery replacement warning?

    2. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I see that Jobs' reality distortion field is still alive and well. This is a design flaw. Maybe Apple should have spent some time understanding this law of physics your talking about, and not undersize their batteries. My devices with old batteries don't spontaneously shut down. They may not hold a charge for as long, but they don't just randomly shut the phone down. I get a low battery warning sooner than I did when the device was brand new, but again, the device doesn't randomly shut down.

    3. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no, if it was properly designed it would have a battery appropriate for it's purpose. If it requires draingin to such a low state of charge for one days worth of battery power then the battery is too small. They could easily put a bigger battery and make sure it never goes below a certain state of charge and the batter would last much much longer.

    4. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      It's a design flaw.

      The original problem was sudden drops in charge level. My girlfriend's iPhone 6 would go from 50% to 2% suddenly. That's because they use voltage to measure battery level, and when old batteries supply a lot of current the voltage drops more than with new ones.

      They "fixed" that flaw by slowing the phone down to prevent high current use.

      It's a design flaw caused by selecting a battery with a smaller cathode, which has a high voltage drop when aged. Other manufacturers use a battery a fraction of a millimetre thicker, with a bigger cathode surface area.

      FWIW, I am an electrical engineer who builds battery powered products for a living. We avoid this issue by looking at battery datasheets and ultimately doing accelerated testing of the entire lifetime.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      You're exaggerating so many points. Do you really thing "minimal usability" wan't preserved? Do you really think it was akin to slowing it down to 10 Mph? And they aren't slowed down to conserve energy. The phones still function completely normally except in cases where a surge of power is needed that the battery is no longer capable of delivering. In those moments the OS would instead throttle the CPU, making the task take a little longer rather than having the phone shut down.
      When activity is not above that processor-intensity threshold the phone behaves completely normally and unthrottled.

    6. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The "design flaw" is that batteries are batteries and electronic circuits take a minimum amount of power to run. In other words not a flaw, it's how the real universe works."

      No. It's a design flaw, they did not spec a battery with sufficient margins to ensure a reasonable product lifetime with the known engineering issues of battery degradation over time combined with maximum transient current requirements of the specified SoC.

      They tried to play the battery margins in an attempt to obsessively focus on weight and size (particularly thickness), and it's come back to bite them.

    7. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      The "design flaw" is that batteries are batteries and electronic circuits take a minimum amount of power to run. In other words not a flaw, it's how the real universe works.

      Interesting how only Apple's iPhone has this "not a flaw" and how physics and these products show that you can quite easily still provide enough current for the phone to perfectly function at full rates even with a very degraded battery.

      As I said countless times, if you can't pull 2+ amps from an ancient lithium battery you've fucked up the design of the battery.

      Replacing a battery because the phone won't run for more than an hour is quite a different story. But please cut it with the minimum power bullshit. Even an old battery has not only enough power to keep a phone going without rebooting, but also enough power to happily catch fire if you short the terminals.

    8. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by JayAEU · · Score: 1

      The design flaw is that Apple insists on putting batteries in their iphones which are of too little capacity to begin with. In turn, they have to operate them at levels that degrade them much faster than they would have to had they only gone with bigger capacity batteries. And when the inevitable happens (the batteries lost all their capacity due to overutilization) Apple decides to slow down the user's phone in order to pretend everything is fine. Pretend? Yes, because it is totally non-obvious to the user that the battery is the problem. Some choice in the matter would be nice indeed.

      As for Apple the matter now that they were caught redhanded, a discount on the battery replacement really is not cutting it. It was Apple's fault to begin with (and no, not all batteries degrade like that - just design in bigger capacity ones and underutilize them for longevity), so they should be fixing this mess entirely at their cost. Instead, they lure addicts^H isheep^H users into their stores to either sell them a battery (still at profit even with discount) or a new iphone...

      Really, how many Android phones' batteries have you seen with this kind of problem? Right, zero! Why is that? It's because batteries found in Android phones typically are of the 3xxx mAh range, so there is lots more room to deal with lost capacity. In any event, Android users can avail themselves of a plethora of tools to diagnose the problem, whereas Apple denies their user base any such ability.

      "It just works" really did die with Steve Jobs.

    9. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Demena · · Score: 2

      You are aware that the "throttling" only takes place while the processes demanding the excess draw are active? That the phone is only "slowed down" for the few seconds the battery cannot take the demand?

      They do not "slow down older phones" they just stop them from crashing. It is not minimal usability they provide but the maximal capacity that the battery can power second to second

    10. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Demena · · Score: 2

      That is funny. I know several electrical engineers intimately. I am pretty sure they would call it a "design choice" not a "design flaw".

      For this simple reason. They do not want to get their asses sued off. There are many factors that go into a choice for a battery and they are not all electrical. Since they do not know on what bases that choice was made calling it a flaw would be passing a professional judgement that they are not qualified to make. That is a professional or licenced electrical engineer would call it a "choice" not a "flaw". One, the former, is within the purview of their training and judgement and the other, the latter is not.

      So if you are an electrical engineer, as you say, then calling it a "flaw" is not within your purview or remit. You do not know and cannot know unless the concept and design of the whole device is solely your responsibility. And that would not stand up to "due diligence" standards nowadays.

    11. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Waccoon · · Score: 1

      The fix they delivered ensured that your phone would not just simply die randomly if the battery was getting really old.

      The fix is hiding information from the user and trying to make a problem as invisible as possible.

      There's a reason people got pissed at Apple, and not every single other manufacturer that made a battery-powered device over the last 100 years.

    12. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Demena · · Score: 1

      (still at profit even with discount)

      Evidence? Twenty nine dollars seems pretty cheap to me to have someone else do the dirty work that I don't have time for.

      Apple denies their user base any such ability

      Evidence? Go to the Apple app store and find out otherwise.

      Android batteries? You want to tout Android batteries over Apple batteries? Considering the problems that Samsung have had now there is a new issue...
      All Li batteries essentially suck. Except for density of charge which is why we use them.

    13. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well i think "choice" or "flaw" is something for the courts to decide. The rest of us can have our own opinions. Taking into account apples history with not accepting responsibility for poor design choices my opinion is it a flaw and the code was a cover up to avoid a recall.

    14. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Demena · · Score: 1

      Think is I welcome some of the choices that you declare are flaws. It would be better if we used the term 'choices' rather than 'benefits' and 'flaws'. The I and the you here not being any particular people.

    15. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      They had a problem where the battery % went from 50 to 2 instantly sometimes, or the phone just crashed. I'm sure it wasn't designed to do that. I'm sure they didn't make a choice to have that happen after a year or two.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    16. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except for one thing genius.

      Apple CAUSED all this horseshit with their non removable battery. The end user has to go to THEM for anything they have INTENTIONALLY made the product non user serviceable for something as simple as a battery.

      Why? Because they WANT you to buy another, and another, and another. The slowing of the phone only helps them give you the incentive every single time you use your phone with an older battery to upgrade.

      Sorry for the caps. With understanding not being your strong point I wanted to make sure that I got the point across beyond your reading comprehension problem too. :)

    17. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Demena · · Score: 1

      That is a problem all phones have to some degree. It is not just native to Apple. What al this is about is people pissing on their solution, which was and is about the best possible one.

    18. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      A better solution would be free battery replacements. That's what Google did with the only other phone to have this problem, the Nexus 6p.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    19. Re:They built something that obeys laws of physics by Demena · · Score: 1

      The first sentence states it would be better solution to... Better for whom? I am going to replace a (still functioning perfectly - 86%) battery next December for $29. At that time it will be about five years old. That sounds pretty damned good to me. Why would I expect a free re-placement on an over 2 year old, out of guarantee battery? Unless I am just a greedy fuck. Is this some sort of entitled millennial meme?

      The only phone to have this problem? Erm... Would you like to go see bout all the battery fault Samsung have had (repeatedly) There is even a new one now. Brand new Samsungs that simply won't recharge. Have you ever heard of confirmation bias?

  19. They are not using this system on those phones by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    What about my iPhone 4, Apple? No free battery replacement for me?

    No, because Apple was only using the new battery management system with the iPhone 6 and above, and then only running iOS 11.

    Your older iPhones continue to enjoy the same battery aging issues as every other Android phone maker on the planet, so because Apple did not help you out on older phones you have to replace the batteries yourself when you feel it is time.

    Maybe some disgruntled and ill-informed internet mob will target your models of phones at some point in the future, but today is not that day.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:They are not using this system on those phones by magusxxx · · Score: 1

      As I already responded to the OP's comment...iPhone 5/5c users, like myself, have had the same issues after switching to iOS10 and all the subsequent updates. These issues were brought up in Apple's own forums and we were never given a reason or solution to why it was happening. Yet now the iPhone 6's owners get compensation but we don't? Especially with months worth of traceable comments and complaints.

      --
      Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
    2. Re:They are not using this system on those phones by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      As I already responded to the OP's comment...iPhone 5/5c users, like myself, have had the same issues after switching to iOS10 and all the subsequent updates.

      No. You really have not, because as I JUST EXPLAINED, Apple is using this new power management feature ONLY IN IOS11..

      What you are experiencing is simply a battery getting older, as all batteries do, the same thing every Android owner on earth has to deal with also. Batteries get old, that is a simple fact of life, you have to deal with it either by getting a new battery, a new phone, or just living with it. Why should anyone give you a handout just because your battery is old? No other phone maker does that, why should Apple?

      Yet now the iPhone 6's owners get compensation but we don't?

      Absolutely not because you are not impacted by the software change, all you have are older batteries.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    3. Re:They are not using this system on those phones by magusxxx · · Score: 1

      Yes, but we are stating that something was ALSO added to iOS10 that gave us battery issues. Which we questioned long before iOS11 was even released. Which was continually ignored and no comment from Apple was ever given to why the problem occurred. Again, well documented on several support forums including Apple Support.

      Which makes us wonder whether we weren't the actual beta testers for this iOS11 code. And they just didn't remove it since the 5's were going to be orphaned anyway.

      --
      Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
    4. Re:They are not using this system on those phones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The throttling scandal consists in Apple throttling (slowing down) the CPUs on several iPhones since the launch of iOS 10.2.1 (iPhone 6 and 6s) and iOS 11.2.0 (iPhone 7). This throttling is implemented by capping the CPU’s maximum frequency well below its original maximum and is permanent until the device’s battery is replaced (at which time the throttling is removed).

    5. Re:They are not using this system on those phones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So your either outright lying or the most ill informed apple shill on here. It started with 10.2.1

      https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/20/16800058/apple-iphone-slow-fix-battery-life-capacity

      Read the second paragraph; educate yourself before yelling at others who are obviously more informed than you.

  20. Replaced today with a new iPhone! by m_number4 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Today I took the iPhone 6s Plus in for a battery replacement. They must have damaged something so they gave me a brand new phone. They performed the test and asked some questions, had no problems (in Canada) $35 + tax

    1. Re:Replaced today with a new iPhone! by antdude · · Score: 1

      Wait, a new phone? What about your data and all that?

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    2. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by m_number4 · · Score: 1

      I backed up the phone to iTunes before taking it in for a replacement battery.

    3. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by antdude · · Score: 1

      Still annoying. Did they give you back your case, SIM card, etc.?

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    4. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by m_number4 · · Score: 1

      Yes, i was happy that I got a new phone for $35

    5. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by antdude · · Score: 1

      Brand new or refurbished? Refurbished can look new too. ;) I assume it was the same model.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    6. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by m_number4 · · Score: 1

      It was brand new. They damaged the touch screen to the point that it no longer sensed touch.

    7. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by antdude · · Score: 1

      Wow, they broke it during the battery replacement. That must be difficult work if it breaks that easily. So they admitted it! Ha.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    8. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by m_number4 · · Score: 1

      They had no choice because the touch screen no longer sensed anything. So needless to say I was pretty happy .

    9. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by antdude · · Score: 1

      Haha. I assume it was working after Apple touched it. I wonder if your repair guy did something to break it. ;)

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    10. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by Camembert · · Score: 1

      I had a similar experience. Actually I had the touch screen problem a few days after they exhanged the battery, which was an unlikely coincidence. I brought it back and they also gave me a brand new 6Plus (not refurbished, though limited to 90 days of warranty).
      Meanwhile I restored it from icloud, all works well. I must say that I thought about reselling it, funding part of a new iPhone X, but I prefer to wait until there is a bigger size future XsPlus or some such.

    11. Re: Replaced today with a new iPhone! by m_number4 · · Score: 1

      This makes me think twice about ever having a third-party repair store do any work on my Apple products. iâ(TM)ve thought about upgrading but then I just donâ(TM)t see enough change in the new phones to justify the expense. These are really expensive devices so Iâ(TM)m waiting for Apple to make a bigger leap forward in design and technology. The size of the plus model is perfect.

  21. Re: You look like a flaming faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    New irrelevance.

    You some sort of spaces/emacs user, eh boy?

  22. Electric Vehicle Batteries by fatwilbur · · Score: 1

    I have an iPhone 6, and the battery performance was noticeably lower after a year. Why is it that electric vehicle manufacturers claim their lithium ion batteries retain something like 90% charge after 10 years? Serious question, why do Apple batteries suck so much? Do they use cheap batteries? It is usage patterns (in which case it doesn't sound good for using batteries for commercial driving purposes)?

    1. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      I'd imagine there are two factors. The first is good old exageration on the EV manufactruer's part. The second is that because they are working at a significantly different scale, the batteries last longer. IIRC, there's a specific part of the battery that corrodes/wears out, not the chemistry of the battery. An EV manufacturer could afford to stick several redundant parts in and activate them as needed, keeping the original charge. It would add too much to the mass of the phone, however.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    2. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. It's because EV Cars with long lasting batteries limit the State of Charge(SOC) that the battery runs in. This results in a much longer life. Better EV cars also do thermal control. It's because apple wants to shave off a few mm they put in a battery that can't last more than a day, and it results in the SOC being much lower than is good for the lithium battery... They know this, everyone knows this in the lithium world that does batteries. They engineered it to fail within a few years if you use it regularly. End of Story.

    3. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Avidiax · · Score: 1

      This is because the vehicle manufacturers are underrating their batteries. A battery good for 500 charge cycles when charged to 100% capacity might be good for 1500 cycles charged to 75% capacity only.

      They just make 75% = 100% on the gauge, and adjust the range estimate appropriately.

      You can especially see that this is the case with Tesla. They install excess capacity and allow you to unlock the extra with a payment and OTA update. There aren't unused batteries if you don't buy the upgrade, just unused capacity.

    4. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by JayAEU · · Score: 1

      The problem is that with Apple, function follows form. So in order to build super thin phones, Apple deliberately goes with low capacity batteries to begin with (they also went with too thin anodes, but that would be nitpicking). Since the laws of physics also apple to Apple, these batteries have to be operated at peak most of the time, leading to premature loss of capacity. In contrast, most Android phones come with 3xxx mAh of capacity, leaving lots more room for underutilizing them for longevity. This is also what car manufacturers are doing, they're bascially using only 70% of what the battery could actually do in terms of capacity, exactly because they want their customers to be able to rely on the batteries for a number of years.

      When all is said and done, this incident made it clear that Apple's sole focus is on selling their users an iphone per year, no matter what. And slowing down people's phones without telling them what's going on will certainly go a long way to nudge people into buying a new iphone, just to get rid of all the lag on their old phone. This is planned obsolescence at its best, I must say.

    5. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Demena · · Score: 1

      The problem is that with Apple, function follows form. So in order to build super thin phones, Apple deliberately goes with low capacity batteries to begin with (they also went with too thin anodes, but that would be nitpicking). Since the laws of physics also apple to Apple, these batteries have to be operated at peak most of the time, leading to premature loss of capacity. In contrast, most Android phones come with 3xxx mAh of capacity, leaving lots more room for underutilizing them for longevity.

      You have a bit to say there. I have heard of damning with faint praise but you are damning with faint lies.

      IPhone 6+ Original battery 2915 mAh at manufacture. As you say not over 3000 but close enough, within 3%. After 3-4 years it is at 2500, 86%. I've not checked other phones so all I can quote is mine. Checking my iPad it is "over 9000", over 10k in fact. You are making a big deal out of very little. I think faint lie describes it well.

      When all is said and done, this incident made it clear that Apple's sole focus is on selling their users an iphone per year, no matter what. And slowing down people's phones without telling them what's going on will certainly go a long way to nudge people into buying a new iphone, just to get rid of all the lag on their old phone. This is planned obsolescence at its best, I must say.

      I hope to god you never serve on a jury. Where is your evidence for any of this? Even if you proved to be factually correct above rather than displaying a petty bias you would still not have any evidence for this. How could you ever deliver a fair verdict?

    6. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dont worry; juries have been doing just fine figuring out the truth regarding apple. See; Samsung v apple ( rounded rectangles and swipe to unlock) ;the apple ebook prince fixing case and apple v University of Wisconsin for apple theft of CPU IP.
      The evidence will be found.

    7. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Demena · · Score: 1

      And if it is not found you will be sure that is just "not found" rather than non existent and find Apple guilty anyway. God forbid you are ever on a jury.

    8. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by flink · · Score: 1

      You have a bit to say there. I have heard of damning with faint praise but you are damning with faint lies.

      IPhone 6+ Original battery 2915 mAh at manufacture. As you say not over 3000 but close enough, within 3%. After 3-4 years it is at 2500, 86%. I've not checked other phones so all I can quote is mine.

      I can tell you my 6s (not +), was 1715mAh new in July, and is sitting at 1600mAh max capacity now. Assuming the battery supplies a nominal 3.5V, it does seem to be a little skimpy to provide only the capacity of roughly 2 AA cells.

    9. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Geekbot · · Score: 1

      Evidence of planned obsolescence? Are you asking how he knows that Apple knew that their hardware would fail after a year? What evidence that they knew it would have a diminished life or are you asking for what evidence that they covered it up?

        I think it's very clear from all the news coverage that Apple was very well aware that their phones would only last a year and made a choice between the processor and the battery. The processor made it look like they need a newer phone, the battery would have been clearly their fault.

      Apple isn't necessarily bad for that. They are just foolish for covering it up.

    10. Re:Electric Vehicle Batteries by Demena · · Score: 1

      I think it's very clear from all the news coverage that Apple was very well aware that their phones would only last a year and made a choice between the processor and the battery.

      And that is the issue. You are not honest. It is clear that that is counter to the truth. You are not honest or you are stupid beyond all belief. If that you claim were the truth then how can this 3+ year old iPhone 6 on its original battery that is sitting in front of me exist. You have no evidence for malfeasance and plenty to suggest otherwise.

      Fool or liar. Pick one. Only choices you have left yourself.

  23. How is it not preserved? by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, slowing down the system to conserve energy is a good thing, but only if minimal usability is preserved

    Usability is preserved - the system is slightly slower, but the battery lasts longer than it would have otherwise, and you avoid mysterious crashes under load. Indeed this is the ONLY approach where usability is preserved, if you keep the processor at full speed with shorter battery life you ALSO have the side effect of random phone reboots well before the battery is actually out That is simply less usable.

    the system warns the user that the consumable part needs to be replaced.

      I totally agree Apple should have done that, and I guess so does Apple because it sounds like they are adding that feature. But you naturally get that signal to some extent simply through shorter battery life as the battery ages (software can only compensate so much and I'm sure they have some floor on processor slowdown that is practical or possible).

    The upcoming battery diagnosis tools Apple plans to add to iOS sounds ideal; because it will let anyone judge at any time if they think the battery is degraded about to be worth replacing...

    It's worth remembering that these are all issues that surface after about two years of use, before then the battery is usually performing pretty well the whole time.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:How is it not preserved? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What a crock of shit. "system is slightly slower" Some people are reporting 50% throttling. That a lot more than slightly slower. "mysterious crashes" its not a mystery it a design flaw. apple rushed to surpass Qualcomm in specs and matched a power hungry cpu with a $2 cheap battery. No Mystery there. You may be able to prey on some people here who dont know ant better but the rest of us see you as the shill you are.

    2. Re: How is it not preserved? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      50% CPU throttling would put them on par with android phones actually based on benchmarks for a given year.

    3. Re:How is it not preserved? by Demena · · Score: 2

      I wonder where that crock is located? I have a 6+ with original battery in a heavily used device. Must be 3 years old by now. I have never seen or noticed throttling to occur. That is my apocryphal story and because it is mine, excuse if I scorn what you say as just meaningless blurt.

      The Apple software is designed only to slow stuff down while the demand is pegging the supply. That is for a few seconds at worst. And since I seldom play music, download, browse and take photos at the same time (i.e. I mostly single task) I have never seen this reported issue. I still get two days out of my three year old battery unless I use the phone actively all day.

      The phone is not even "slightly slower" and will not be slow unless (and only while) the battery cannot meet the load.

    4. Re:How is it not preserved? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is for a few seconds at worst.

      Unless one happens to be in the 90% of people who use the phone for playing games. But they're not you, so who cares about them?

    5. Re:How is it not preserved? by Demena · · Score: 1

      Can you support or justify that remark? I think not. BTW, I play enough games to have a significant part of my life "wasted". You don't know much.

  24. Not reality distortion - just reality by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I see that Jobs' reality distortion field is still alive and well. This is a design flaw.

    This is reality, not fantasy. The reality is that Android phones as they age suffer from random shutdowns even as they keep the processor at full speed, because they have not made the same (recent, iOS11) choices Apple made in regards to battery aging. The iPhone as the battery ages slows down the processor a little so you'll get a longer time of use from the battery, and also avoid random data-killing shutdowns.

    Only an Apple Hater could claim they prefer random shutdowns at 20% of battery over any other option. It's people like you that utterly screw over Android users, as technically stupid choices are made for the entire globe so you can keep your CPU maximized....

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Not reality distortion - just reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It is people like you that spread lies that have made apple a company people hate. No matter how much of your time you waste spreading bullshit about "apple physics" it is all still lies. apples design flaw is the cause of all this.

    2. Re:Not reality distortion - just reality by SuperKendall · · Score: 0

      It is people like you that spread lies that have made apple a company people hate.

      Another inversion of truth, Apple Hater - Apple is actually still widely admired.

      Since we know you lied about that, we know that everything else you said is backwards as well - so not only am I telling the truth (as I have shown with actual links instead of tantrumish invective), furthermore if your post is so inverted, it seems that rather than my posts hurting Apple, they must be helping Apple since they reveal the truth that people like you seek to twist and hide.

      So your post ends up being a validation of my good works, I know if you dislike what I am doing I am truly on a path to help others. Thanks!

      I'll let you have the last post since you Apple Haters always did have a bigger tank of bile than you could use up in a lifetime, and I've made enough of a point for all the sane people to know who and what you truly are.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    3. Re:Not reality distortion - just reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What exactly is the flaw? That Lithium batteries go to shit after a few years? This is also true with Samsung (my S6 did that after two years, and then the battery started swelling so bad it broke the case open). Or a million other electronic devices.

    4. Re:Not reality distortion - just reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    5. Re:Not reality distortion - just reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Way to quote an article that is almost a year old now. Android users never had this issue till a few years ago when manufactures decided to start appleifying their phones as far as the batteries go. Android users could simply swap their batteries within a few seconds. Some power users could carry around multiple charged batteries and swap them as their battery died, while the apple users had to go around constantly complaining about their batteries being low and begging people for chargers because they failed to plain ahead.

      I still use my Note 4 for its removable battery. I keep one battery charging in a stand alone charger on my night stand and use the other in my phone. When my phone battery dies I can go grab that charging one, swap it into my phone boot it back up and have a phone at 100% charge in 30 seconds. Stick the drained battery into the stand alone charger and let it charge while i drain the other one. I rarely ever actually plug my phone in to charge.

      If I know I am going to be away from home for an extended period of time and might end up with a low battery, I can grab that extra charged battery and carry it in my pocket or bag. Phone battery dies while i am out and about i can simply swap it wherever I am at and carry on. I also have another set of worn batteries, though no longer having the capacity of my newer batteries they do come in handy for emergencies like when we had hurricane Irma barrel though Florida this summer. I had all the batteries I have for the note 4 topped up before the hurricane hit. We lost power for 4 days after the hurricane. Those came in very handy.

  25. What random shutdowns? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Random shutdowns are hardly the automatic result of a low-capacity battery. They don't happen if voltages are correctly maintained (a function of the power circuits) and can also be easily avoided by simply reporting the correct amount of battery life remaining, adjusting to changes in capacity. This is easily proved by the vast majority of Android phones which don't randomly crash when their battery gets old (I have 6- and 8-year-old phones which are perfectly usable, while their battery lasts).

    There's no problem with Apple choosing to slow down the CPU in this case, only with not telling anyone that this is what's happening. A better choice would be to tell the user then give them the option of throttling the CPU (plus of course correctly dealing with the reduced life), but of course options generally aren't the Apple Way.

  26. No Deal by zeiche · · Score: 1

    Today I arrived at a Genius Bar appointment and was told they ran out of replacement batteries for the iPhone 6S.

    1. Re:No Deal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can thank tim cook, king of the supply chain.

  27. So by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All you could find to show that Android phones also have this issue is a forum comment about a single phone designed 8 years ago, where the issue is easily fixed a couple comments further down by simply recalibrating the battery?

  28. Apple/Android/M$.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...Screw them all...

    Still using a (custom FW) Nokia N700, texting/phone calls, no whatsapp/fb, Nokia maps old but okish,
    email/calendar/contacts sync with M$ outlook (EAS) and ZohoMail , I even have a java app for OTP (google auth)
    syncing files with desktop via Dukto or lftp (Symbian FTP server app + lftp script on desktop to sync

    I have also a SIM-less android near the desktop just because shitty bank needs RSA AUTH app. What I like is that people are trying to reach me on whatapp (loaded on that "static" android) and I only reply when I am near to desktop, heh

  29. Re: You look like a flaming faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No point talking to your common-or-garden dumbass slashdot troll. Just drags you down to their level.

  30. APPLE FOR FUCKS SAKE JUST PATCH IOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You see what you have done here to yourself? Users can't replace batteries. They have to go to you because of your stupid greed. You had a design issue that caused phones to shut off due to faults with the cell. So you patch IOS. The only thing you could do to slow down the phones. Great idea until you got caught.

    The right thing to do now is patch IOS so the user has CHOICE of the action they want from the phone. Do they want the slow phone that still stays on or are they willing to deal with charging.

    So lets recap Apple. You fuck over users with your battery cash grab. You then fuck yourself over it with a design flaw and the unethical way you resolved that design flaw and now you are faced with not only dealing with battery replacements on potentially millions of iphones your reputation has been ruined. You do realize you guys are the VW of the computing industry now for that dirty trick right?

    Was it worth it? Consider not being dumb asses and making consumable parts replaceable by consumers. If we wanna keep our ancient hardware that's our business. Don't be such greedy pig fuckers.

    Additionally. Your Mac hardware is downright embarrassing. How the fuck can you sell hardware that's that old at such high markups to hipster morons? Your brand new top of the line machines CRAWL in comparison to more recent hardware with faster CPU's and faster memory speeds. Aren't you a bit ashamed? And for fucks sake. Put a decent GPU in a system. Even your top of the line ones are GARBAGE!

  31. Apple Store by kqc7011 · · Score: 1

    This is good for me as the nearest Apple Store is over 200 miles away. Now, how do I test my phones battery, it has been about a once a day (but not quite) charge since I bought it two years ago. So it is probably getting close to the 500 charge mark.

    --
    Passionately Indifferent
  32. you are a battery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i'd still be pissed if i was an apple consumer , they are doing it only because they where caught pants down fucking around devices they dont own, they would still be doing it if it hadn't been disclosed , and i think this is much more a question of corporate culture then bad engineering , the key thing here is apple voracious appetite for $$ , seriously whats the point of a company hoarding hundred of billions to only let it sit in some bank. apple is not a positive force on this rock , more just another link in our chains .

  33. Android - iPhone - Android by shawn95gt · · Score: 1

    I broke a Nexus 5 phone and replaced it with an iPhone 6 while I ws waiting for my Nexus 6P pre-order, figuring my daughter would be happy to get a couple month old iPhone. This worked out great and let me get to know iPhone. Over all it was a MUCH less painful experience than I expected. No Google rewards surveys and no dedicated back button. Nexus 6p finally arrived and I moved over to it , used it a year and change and the battery went to crap. Full charge to your phone is turning off due to dead battery in minutes or less. I then went back to the iPhone, which my daughter was reporting a similar issue with. It was working better than the Nexus 6P and so long as I had a charger on had I got by. I 'almost' did the $79 battery replacement but Apple store said ti's fine, in spite of the 40% to 0 being almost instant. Luckily... it worked well until the 40% dive bomb..... so I lived with it, until Samsung offered a deal I couldn't refuse crediting $400ish for giving them my iPhone and picking up a Note 8 at about 1/2 cost (I had bought and returned via a recall a Note 7). This was a no-brainer and now I'm a Note user and the battery life is amazing. I am glad to see Apple eventually did the right thing with the battery replacements through. $29 is pretty reasonable to breathe new life into a 2 year+ old phone.

  34. Re: You look like a flaming faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the OS wars have been going on since the early 80s

  35. great but expensive by bajarfacil.com · · Score: 1

    you can get a battery for less that $20 dollars. I think that's how Apple wants to get more money from old phones :s

    1. Re:great but expensive by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      However, there is labor involved in the replacement, and a certain amount of risk (it's possible to break something, and then the customer gets a replacement phone). How long does it take a tech to change the battery? (I really don't know.) I doubt the fully burden cost of a tech is under $40/hour.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  36. Apple's Fix: Give Us Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As usual, the Apple solution is not "OK, we screwed up and will replace that (the battery) for free", but rather "We screwed up, and you get to pay us to fix the problem".

    So, nothing out of the ordinary. Move along, move along.

  37. What about tablets? by ilsaloving · · Score: 1

    What about their tablets? Sure those are affected by the same problem?

  38. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, it's just Apple. No other brand has defrauded their own customers so.

  39. What about the authorized Apple ones? by antdude · · Score: 1

    Best Buy, MicroCenter, etc.? If they will do the same, then how good are they compared to Apple's fixers?

    Thank you in advance. :)

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  40. iFixIt! by antdude · · Score: 1

    https://ifixit.org/blog/9491/a... is also doing $29 for those who want to do it on their own or have someone else do it.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  41. Less is more by Brockmire · · Score: 1

    Not sure if this is double posting, /. ate the first two posts. "Apple has since independently confirmed to MacRumors that it will agree to replace an eligible battery for a $29 fee, regardless of whether an official diagnostic test shows that it is still able to retain less than 80 percent of its original capacity. " Does not parse unless s/less/more/. All fucking batteries can retain 80% or less. Fucking morons. Fuck these people who can't fucking write and then take a job where it's their job to write.

  42. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physic by Demena · · Score: 1

    Glad to see you will bit pout your name to slander coward.

  43. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple PR can flood the forum. It does not change how the courts will see it. The fraud is clear: Apple let customers wlith old iphone versions believe their own phone was faulty, which increased iphone sales. Every customer who upgraded his/her iphone could claim compensation. Apple's excuses won't wash: lying to users about the cause will make them liable; and the slowdown was entirely the result of avoidable design choices - choices not disclosed to users.

  44. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You need to consider this from Apple's perspective. Once you do, the reasons this was a design choice (not flaw) will become clear.

    Apple's engineers are as good as any. They are very unlikely not to have noted the battery's issues. Even if they did not - Apple must have been aware of this since the iPhone 6, yet newer models still have the issue according to Apple itself.

    Why is that? There were two options for Apple: The first, pay more to get a semidecent product out there. The other option is to make money from saving on the battery, than from upgrades encouraged by the slowdown, than from customers believing iPhone battery lifetime was longer than it really was.

    Apple had a choice between its fans and money. Apple is also a business. There was only one choice Apple could take.

  45. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Demena · · Score: 1

    And wankery can flood the forum to (in fact that is more common).

    The fraud is clear: Apple let customers wlith old iphone versions believe their own phone was faulty, which increased iphone sales. Every customer who upgraded his/her iphone could claim compensation. Apple's excuses won't wash: lying to users about the cause will make them liable; and the slowdown was entirely the result of avoidable design choices - choices not disclosed to users.

    No fraud has been demostqrsted. Fraud requires intent, in order to prove fraud your must be able to demonstrate mens rea. I don't think you can so good luck.

    The rest of your post is just garbage. You cannot demonstrate the lie that you claim exits and there is no slowdown unless the battery will cause a crash. The lowdown ends the microsecond the stress stops. The alternative would be to let the phone crash. That has dangerous implications. It was the right choice.

    If any of the class actions succeed it will not be on technical issues. They put in a good fix. A lot of people who do not understand it are squawking about it (and lots of people are going "Free Money!") so Apple responded with a change and are changing (not fixing) the software so there is no cause for any complaint. Being that Apple has responded to user input in a quick and timely fashion there is not much scope for accusation of misbehaviour. Like people, corporations are not necessarily expected to be right all the time but they must be responsive when and if they are wrong. Just like you.

  46. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The lawsuits are all civil lawsuits; the standard is preponderence of evidence. It took an entire series of choices to reach this condition - which is why no other phone except Apple's (except the Nexus 6P which immediately received a free fix) had this issue. The sum total of these choices is enough to establish likelihood of intent. Add in Apple's previous denial of throtteling and inexplicable lack of notification - this will be an easy trial.

    P.S. when people say "this only happens under stress", the actual meaning is "this happens when the CPU is heavily used" - which happens all the time.

  47. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Demena · · Score: 1

    The sum total of these choices is enough to establish likelihood of intent.

    That is just pure self agrandising bullshit. You judge the choices and you decide the guilt. You are right the law does not work that way. You are not the judge. As a rule the law does not treat conspiracy theories well and that is all you have. A silly conspiracy theory that ignores all counter evidence. You have joined the 'get apple' religion and nothing will sway you from your faith.

    PS. Would you like to re-evaluate that 'PS" after you have learnt something about scheduling about scheduling, normal CPU usage and a whole swathe of other things you clearly do not understand. Servers require high CPU usage to save dollar costs but for most multi, general use devices (see definition of a computer) that is far from the case. Always, always, always there is contention between process. There is an inevitable trade off. Your fast machines are the idle ones, the slowest ones are the ones with the highest CPU utilisation. Do you understand that using Von Neuman machines makes this inevitable? Increasing cores and threads can only partly address this.

    Are you Lennart Poettering perchance? You display similar misunderstandings./p.

  48. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yea, the courts will make a decision, which is why Apple is already offering discounts and apologies. They know how weak their position is, both with the public and the law.

    You seem to be unaware of the diffetences between servers and normal workstation. The biggest being that servers care about throughput while workstations care more about latency. Some servers will be majorly affected by a CPU throttle while some won't care (it depends on what the server is bound by). However, All modern user facing systems will all be severely affected, because current video players and uis cant handle this gracefully and latency is hit (of course, heavy processing tasks like webpage rendering eill also be hit). That technically most of the time the user's system might as well be off is beside the point - the peaks are when the user uses the system....

    Comparing me to Pottering is just low. Surely you could have found a different comparison than history's greatest monster? According to AC's law (/. analogue of Godwin's), you've just lost the debate.

  49. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So why are you judging apple innocent? How made you the judge for these lawsuits. Oh your just a hypocrite.

  50. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Demena · · Score: 1

    Nope. Your first sentence tells exactly why the comparison is valid. You make all kind of assumptions and then use them as reasoned acts. They are not and you have no idea why Apple does what it does.

    But still you make the claim "which is why" and assume it fact. Dubbing you Lennart seems bloody accurate. Same kind of bloody mined "I decide the facts" attitude.

  51. Re: They built something that obeys laws of physi by Demena · · Score: 1

    Because I believe in innocent until proven guilty I am a hypocrite? Ha, ha, ha....

    Poor little fascistii

  52. Regarding cheap battery replacements by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    I don't know how that is going in the USA, but I' surprised that you seem not to have the 'cheap chinese repair shops'.
    On the other hand we don't have those in Germany either,

    I do repairs for electronic equipment usually in Paris. Depending on are you have half a dozen or more phone shops that also offer repairs in the streets, e.g. iPad screen replacement about $40, never checked for Batteries.

    I'm in Bangkok right now and replaced my iPad 2 screen for about $60 (2000 TB), a bit expensive ... I guess they ripped me off as I don't speak much Thai.

    But I will replace the battery of my iPhone 4 next week for â12 / $15.

    I had assumed in bigger US cities you had similar options.

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.