Well if you are one of the millions who ended up buying a new phone because they thought theirs was broken due to the throttling, then this is not overblown. They shelled out $800 instead of a $29 battery fix.
My question is, did Apple staff openly encourage the sale of new iPhones because of battery problems? Let's hear some reports, not supposition. If someone decides, without even bothering to call tech support, that their device is trash, about the only thing you can blame Apple for is taking their money.
I also think that a person whose phone shuts down in the middle of an important call is far more likely to think, "I'd better buy a new phone" than someone whose phone works reliably, just slower than it used to.
Regardless of whether it was unexpected shutdowns or throttling, there are likely plenty of people who went out and bought new phones without ever thinking to ask Apple for a solution to their current problem. Typical of our "Disposable Economy." We might as well be talking about people's love lives - just break up, don't try to fix the relationship.
If they'd called Apple support or gone to the Genius Bar, Apple would have run a diagnostic on the phone and said either, "The battery tests good, so something else is going on, let's see what we can do..." or they'd have said, "The battery tests bad, for $79 we can replace the battery." The last thing they would have said is, "Oh, that one is junk, buy a new one!"
Now some people will weigh the alternatives... "$79 on a battery, vs. $200 down payment on a new phone..." Some might think, "Damn that Apple, I'm not going to pay $79 for a
battery! That's way too much!" Some might then buy an Android, others might buy another Apple anyway. Go figure human logic!
There are those, like myself, who learned at an early age that stuff can be fixed - all sorts of stuff. A little investment in time and effort, or a visit to a repair shop, and stuff can last a lot longer. I kept my parents clothes dryer running for 20 years, simply by knowing how to change a belt and adjust the contact brushes for the moisture sensors. Now, if I didn't have that skill, it might have been a $100 service bill for each simple repair. That puts a different slant on things. Likely Mom and Dad would have bought a replacement in 10 or 15 years, instead of 20.
Back in late 2016 and early 2017 my iPhone 6 started unexpectedly shutting down. First time I called Apple and they ran the diagnostics, the battery tested fine. I erased/reinstalled, monitored which apps were drawing excessive power, etc. That did some good, but not enough. A month or so later I called Apple again, they ran another diagnostic... Battery was shot. I spent $79, and the phone's been going strong ever since. No unexpected shutdowns, battery life like new. The math seemed easy enough to me. I knew I could get at least another year's life out of the thing with a new battery - $6.58/month for a new battery compared to $30+/month for a new phone. I also understood that all batteries wear out. They've worn out in every piece of battery-equipped gear I've ever owned. Why should an iPhone be any different?
They shelled out $800 instead of a $29 battery fix.
Anyone who does that is just plain stupid. $29 is a no-brainer. If you look at how hard it is to get a Genius Bar appointment these days, it's clear plenty of people think $29 is a no-brainer. The little, replaceable lithium battery pack for my good still camera lists for over $40, and there's no labor cost to replace it. And I need to carry 4 of those things if I want to shoot all day long!
No, the difference until a month ago was
$79 vs. $800. To me
that was a no-brainer, but I get it, $79 is a bit more than pocket change to a lot of people, and it's like, the principle of the thing, man. "It should cost less! Apple should give me a new one, I deserve it! I don't care if my phone doesn't work right,
I won't pay that money!"
Well, guess what? Whether you allow Apple to throttle the phone, or you turn off throttling... either way your battery is already well on its way to dead. It's your choice, replace the battery, or get a new phone.