'For years, iPhone users have speculated that Apple was purposefully slowing the function of its older phones. On Wednesday, consumers' worst suspicions were confirmed, as the multinational tech company admitted to implementing a feature in software updates for the iPhone 6, 6S and SE, as well as the iPhone 7 via iOS 11.2, that impedes the device's performance if its battery is older, has a low charge or has grown cold. Apple also indicated that it plans to include this feature in future iPhones.
“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices," a spokesperson said in a statement.
Still, consumers complain that they are being manipulated into purchasing newer and ever more expensive products. Apple was ultimately forced to respond after the feature was flagged by users on Reddit, who all but accused the company of "planned obsolence."
“Users expect either full performance, or reduced performance with a notification that their phone is in low-power mode. This fix creates a third, unexpected state," John Poole of Primate Labs told the Guardian. “While this state is created to mask a deficiency in battery power, users may believe that the slowdown is due to CPU performance, instead of battery performance, which is triggering an Apple-introduced CPU slowdown.”'
Read more: Apple Just Confirmed Your Worst Suspicions About Your Slow iPhone
