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Apple Will Soon Let Users Turn Off its iPhone-slowing Software (cnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the fixing-things dept.

Following an uproar from customers last month, Apple on Wednesday said it's adding a feature to its latest iOS update that will let customers turn off software that slows down their iPhones. From a report: Apple in December revealed that it released software a year earlier that makes your phone run more slowly to prevent problems with its aging lithium ion battery, such as unexpected shutdowns. As part of the new iOS 11.3 update, iPhone users will get a recommendation if a battery needs to be serviced. Plus, they will be able to see if the power management feature that slows the phone's performance is on and can choose to turn it off, the company said Wednesday.

12 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. So will apple start servicing batteries then? by NumbDr9 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Every time I've taken an iphone into an apple store and requested battery service, they have come up with an excuse not to do it. They instead heavily pushing me to exchange for a refurbished phone of the same model. If Apple is going to start telling people when their batteries need to be serviced, maybe they will actually start servicing batteries.

    1. Re:So will apple start servicing batteries then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I don't understand why you wouldn't just tell them to stop talking and service the fucking battery. Were you scared or intimidated somehow? Do they have pictures of you with your mistress?

    2. Re: So will apple start servicing batteries then? by DigiShaman · · Score: 4

      Apple is rudderless on leadership. Normally that's been a "bad thing" for Apple and their pursuit of innovation since Job's died. But this time, it might scare them enough to re-design the next iPhone to be user battery serviceable friendly. I'm not saying they will, but given the public outcry from this, I'd say the odds have improved greatly of that being a possibility. Time will tell.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
  2. Good of them, I suppose. by sehlat · · Score: 2

    Of course, the real question is: why didn't they do this when they put the slowdown software in in the first place? Treating your customers like milk cows makes it harder, not easier, to sell next-generation hardware.

    1. Re:Good of them, I suppose. by sycodon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Just wait. People will turn it off, and then be right back to bitching when the phone suddenly dumps because the battery is dead.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    2. Re:Good of them, I suppose. by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      That is simple answer. For the majority of the computing user base. You can slow down the processor speed and people will not notice it much, however if you lower the battery life they will.

      For the most part you can slow down a computer device by a large percentage and under normal use most people will not notice. 1ms vs 3ms for a task is still nearly instant to them. The fact that other factors such as bandwidth of a network connection, comes into play as well. However if you are use to your battery lasting 24 hours and it is down to 8 you really can tell even under modest use.

      Apples biggest mistake wasn't the feature, but not telling about it, and letting us know to replace a battery.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  3. They'll complain anyway by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They'll turn it off, then complain about their battery life being shitty and sue Apple for that. Never mind that the feature existed to keep the phone operating as long as possible with the battery capacity it has. Sure, who needs power management, right? Just run everything balls-out all the time and who cares if your phone only runs for 15 minutes before dying, right?

    1. Re:They'll complain anyway by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Sure, who needs power management, right?

      Power management you can't control? No one. Would you be happy with your screen permanently at 0% brightness? Would you be happy if your V8 car was permanently set to ECO mode with a speed limiter? Would you be happy with Microsoft capping your CPU performance at 75% to save your energy bill?

  4. Maybe there's a reason to reduce performance. by Walter+White · · Score: 2

    I'm not an Apple defender. I only own one Apple product, an old Macbook I borrowed.

    I have a Motorola 360 Smart Watch - first generation. When the battery got old, it began shutting down at anything below about 30% battery capacity. This was often provoked by any action that would turn the screen on - a significant battery draw - along with extra radio and processor operation.. I wonder if Apple was trying to prevent this issue by reducing processor power draw. I might have appreciated a similar feature that made my Moto 360 more useful as the battery got weaker.

    Of course this would also cause sluggish performance which would also motivate users to upgrade to the latest and greatest H/W.

  5. This would certainly save on recharging... by tlambert · · Score: 2

    This would certainly save on recharging...

    As soon as your battery is empty, get Apple o putt in a new, partially charged battery.

  6. Silly silly by Mr_Silver · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As part of the new iOS 11.3 update, iPhone users will get a recommendation if a battery needs to be serviced

    The silly thing is that if they'd actually done this the day they implemented the throttling (thereby being upfront and honest about it) then there probably wouldn't have been any uproar.

    Yet again, it's Apple's reluctance to share anything but the bare minimum with their customers (who then go on to make assumptions about their motives) which has bitten them on the backside.

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    Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
    1. Re: Silly silly by Brockmire · · Score: 2

      But they'd have millions less sales. This was strategic and I'm sure they're still way more ahead than if they were honest about their deficiencies.