Apple CEO Tim Cook Says Power Management Feature in Older iPhones Will Be Able to Be Turned Off in Future Update

[jacjustjac]

An unhealthy battery IS covered under warranty. Apple will gladly replace it if it fails a hardware test. What they won’t do is give you a free battery 3 years after you purchased the phone.

Except everyone’s phone battery pre-iOS 10.2.1 *was* failing a hardware test, that being they had degraded enough that the phone could not reach its advertised speeds (2x faster every generation, blah blah) without crashing. And rather replace everyone’s battery at the 11 month mark, Apple changed the rules of the “hardware test” without telling anyone.

I’m fine with the current capacity of iPhone batteries. It’s the fact that they degrade so quickly, for whatever reason, that makes people say the battery should be bigger. Just to be a buffer for when they start to degrade. But Apple has made a jump in battery technology before. I remember the first 2008 unibody MacBook Pros, when Apple first made batteries with a 1000 cycle life vs 300. It’s been 10 years since then.

 

[codeoverride]

Right. Except that even with the throttling my iPhone still crashes and restarts itself randomly.

 

[pat500000]

People complaining and yet, they will buy apple products. Even if apple is wrong, no point in complaining.

 

[timborama]

I like this, let people have the choice. Watch people go “Apple is letting my device restart constantly!” “It never use to do that!”

Apple should be smart enough to figure out when 0% battery really means ZERO. Problem solved. No need for throttling.

It’s because they couldn’t figure THAT much out and devices were shutting down at 30%.

 

[needsomecoffee]

My reading of Tim's comments is a difficult experience. He is almost incoherent at times re: making simple straight-forward statements. Presumably this is after lots of PR prepping. I assume he is better in meetings. Not just the battery situ, but other occasions. However the disjointed, fractured sentences are at an all-time high here. Nerves perhaps? One never knows what the discovery process might reveal (a real benefit of lawsuits is the discovery process - i.e. the MSFT strangulation email). Good luck Tim.

 

[javisan]

An unhealthy battery IS covered under warranty. Apple will gladly replace it if it fails a hardware test. What they won’t do is give you a free battery 3 years after you purchased the phone.

You are right, however, the hard part is proving you have an unhealthy battery. Apple decides this, not you.

I'm covered with AppleCare through February 2018 and my battery is at 72% capacity after 515 cycles per 2 separates softwares to verify this, including coconut. I went to the Apple Store and they say the battery is healthy and won't replace it. I'm screwed, nothing I can do.

 

[scottinlexky]

IMHO, it's time for Tim to go.

I had my battery tested last week, tested ok, but still drains to nearly empty each day if its not plugged in. But hey,
i'm in the system so I can get it replaced this year.

 

[scaramoosh]

I think it’s a good feature......... but the battery should be easily removable, and they should warn you it needs to be replaced.

 

[mackinmike]

The problem is their chip. It's too aggressive that it requires too much voltage.

 

[Defthand]

The burden of proof will be on the plaintiff - not Apple. Just watch them try to prove intent.

Many a big company has had its skeletons revealed during the discovery process. It’s impossible for them to undo internal communications that sometimes reveal damaging decisions and their motives. One of the first lawyers who made a career of winning huge judgements from powerful businesses for his meek clients—Gerry Spence—understood that empathy, not proof, was more important in jury trials.

 

[simonmet]

How to apologise without really apologising.

 

[DotCom2]

Apple's hardware tests don't always pick up faulty hardware. I had a failing Fusion Drive that kept passing their HW test for many months before it totally died and refused to boot, even in recovery mode.

But, Apple replaced my iPhone 6s Plus without testing it. It was having the shutdown issue, but it had over 90% of the initial capacity.

I also had a Fusion drive failure that passed the hardware test right up to the day it died.

 

[Plutonius]

and then they will be sued when the phone crashes during low battery .

 

[joeblough]

this is welcome news.

for all the people that say apple was just trying to keep old batteries running, how do you explain my situation? 2 iphone6 still running ios10: totally snappy, original batteries (700+ cycles), never shut down unexpectedly. according to CPU Dasher, the CPUs are throttled a little bit (1100Mhz when the battery is low, 1400MHz otherwise). contrast this with my own iphone6 which had a battery replacement 10 months ago. the battery has about 270 cycles, but the phone never goes above 1100Mhz (out of 1400MHz max) and spends most of its time at 840 or 600Mhz. so the throttling starts at 100% battery charge and goes rapidly downhill from there (i've seen 600Mhz even at 80% charge.)

this makes no sense, unless they were just trying to slow down iPhone6 to drive adoption of newer phones. i myself was about to go out an buy an iPhoneX, but i really don't want to reward apple for this behavior now that i know what they are doing.

if this future update restores the performance of my iPhone6, i'll consider upgrading phones.

 

[Baymowe335]

how about you design phones with batteries that can run them at full speed for say at least 2 years?
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no they haven't.

my 3 year old dell still runs at full speed when on battery.

They do in general. Exactly how many phones are affected? Oh that’s right, no one knows. However, I’ll take the under on 800m.

 

[djlythium]

Here’s a wild idea, and I know this is just crazy, but let’s entertain it just for moment: what if TC is telling the truth?!

What if... now, hang with me here... Apple’s strategy was to, actually, help users, and make their devices last longer?

What if... crazy as it sounds... the people at Apple really are thinking of all the ways to make the best devices be most useable for the most amount of people?

What if we start thinking this way toward Apple’s efforts?

 

[5105973]

Maybe some of us should reconsider doing business with Apple?

lol. I tried. My first attempt...Note 7. Bahahahaha. Now talk about a battery problem!

Seriously though, Android is getting better with each new iteration and I am very much enjoying my exploration of it. I recommend people do try it if they have the opportunity to do so, but still keep their iPhone handy because it’s not an easy or smooth transition for everyone. I love my Pixel 2 but am not ready to leave iPhones entirely anytime soon.

 

[nStyle]

I think while the correct move for us as consumers, it's probably not the correct move for Apple to be so forthcoming in their mistakes since it only helps the prosecutor's case to point out all of this backtracking they're now doing.

 

[nviz22]

lol. I tried. My first attempt...Note 7. Bahahahaha. Now talk about a battery problem!

Seriously though, Android is getting better with each new iteration and I am very much enjoying my exploration of it. I recommend people do try it if they have the opportunity to do so, but still keep their iPhone handy because it’s not an easy or smooth transition for everyone. I love my Pixel 2 but am not ready to leave iPhones entirely anytime soon.

The transition isn’t for everyone. I would be hard pressed using anything not Google or Apple these days. Stability is key and Samsung hasn’t shown the ability to make good software.

 

[mariusignorello]

Why? There is nothing wrong with someone pointing out when a brand they like screws up.

Yeah they screwed up but what’s the consequence?

 

[ThatShiKrayy]

You know that's not a valid excuse, right? "But mom! The other kids did it, too!"

Except the other kids are laptop manufacturers who design productivity machines. A machine that randomly shuts down while a user is being productive isn't very productive, is it?

 

[5105973]

When asked about whether Apple would introduce a cheaper iPhone due to the new policies, Cook said it was unlikely, telling interviewer Jarvis that "the phone costs what the innovation inside of it costs."

Now THIS is where Apple is beginning to lose me. I didn’t slip entirely away this year. I’m still on an iPhone. But it’s the older style 8 Plus and not the X.

I did give the X a one month try during the holidays. It was a lovely gift. Ultimately I realized that while I was favorably impressed by the new technology, I did not want my family to pay such a high price for it. I was not several hundred dollars more impressed with Face ID and the dual OIS camera over what the 8 Plus offered. And the OLED display was lovely but incompatible with my vision. The LCD display is actually prettier to my eyes and more compatible in that it does not flicker and cause migraines or eye strain. I also wasn’t getting the battery savings I was hoping for on OLED.

It’s just way too expensive for what it offers me. I don’t need a new biometric unlock scheme just for the wow factor. Not at such a high cost. Yikes.

So I am very disappointed to read that. I just have to hope when it comes time to replace my kid’s iPhone SE, the less innovative models will still be available.

 

[KPOM]

Cook’s comments on the tax bill are extremely disappointing but can’t say I’d expect him to say otherwise since he’s a billionaire.

He’s being realistic. The tax bill was a good thing. We now have an average corporate tax rate instead of the highest in the world. It makes this country a better place to invest in.
[doublepost=1516251095][/doublepost]

Now THIS is where Apple is beginning to lose me. I didn’t slip entirely away this year. I’m still on an iPhone. But it’s the older style 8 Plus and not the X.

I did give the X a one month try during the holidays. It was a lovely gift. Ultimately I realized that while I was favorably impressed by the new technology, I did not want my family to pay such a high price for it. I was not several hundred dollars more impressed with Face ID and the dual OIS camera over what the 8 Plus offered. And the OLED display was lovely but incompatible with my vision. The LCD display is actually prettier to my eyes and more compatible in that it does not flicker and cause migraines or eye strain. I also wasn’t getting the battery savings I was hoping for on OLED.

It’s just way too expensive for what it offers me. I don’t need a new biometric unlock scheme just for the wow factor. Not at such a high cost. Yikes.

So I am very disappointed to read that. I just have to hope when it comes time to replace my kid’s iPhone SE, the less innovative models will still be available.

If you walk into an Apple Store intending to buy a X but walk out with an 8 or 8 Plus, Apple is still happy.

 

[nofear1az]

Batteries are consumable. Life-long lasting batteries using Li-ion do NOT exist. It is unreasonable to expect Apple to keep footing the bill to replace a battery that ages like Li-ion batteries do. Apple can detect a failing battery and a consumed battery. If it's failed, it's covered under warranty. If it's consumed, you have to buy another battery. Batteries don't last forever and they never have. Every one is hell bent on blowing this whole fiasco out of proportion because it's Apple. Get over yourselves. /rant

So you think 1 year or 2 years is reasonable? Nobody is asking for life-long lasting batteries, where are you getting that from?

This is what people are upset about:
1. iPhone batteries lasting a short period before automatically being slowed down; as soon as in year 1 or 2.
2. No prompts or notifications of your phone being slowed down.
3. No choice to turn off this auto slow down.
4. When you do notice a problem and take it to Apple, Apple runs a diag and tells you everything is fine and tells you to go away.
5. You are willing to pay for a new battery and Apple still refuses your money. <except until this fiasco broke out>

/rant
[doublepost=1516251421][/doublepost]

Phone can crash. Or phone can keep running.

I'm still mystified that people got all bent out of shape that the phone does what it needs to do to keep running. My son's phone was experiencing this (the phone crashing when it had 20-25% battery), until he upgraded to iOS 11, then the crashes stopped.

Seems to me if your option is a crashing phone, or one that keeps running, most people would opt for the latter. People must really be looking for things to turn into causes.

Ever wonder why no other brand has this issue with their phones? Because Apple is mitigating a hardware problem through a software fix. By slowing your phone down keeps it from crashing - problem solved, right? but not really. More like a giant band-aid to the problem. But as long as your happy though.

 

[Baymowe335]

So you think 1 year or 2 years is reasonable? Nobody is asking for life-long lasting batteries, where are you getting that from?

This is what people are upset about:
1. iPhone batteries lasting a short period before automatically being slowed down; as soon as in year 1 or 2.
2. No prompts or notifications of your phone being slowed down.
3. No choice to turn off this auto slow down.
4. When you do notice a problem and take it to Apple, Apple runs a diag and tells you everything is fine and tells you to go away.
5. You are willing to pay for a new battery and Apple still refuses your money. <except until this fiasco broke out>

/rant

We don’t know the number of iPhones with bad batteries. It’s not as widespread as this forum indicates though.