Then you weren’t paying attention. Apple deliberately withheld the knowledge that aging batteries were the trigger for users’ device shutdowns, and more importantly, that replacing the battery would resolve the issue while restoring general performance. The undisclosed software band-aid minimized the likelihood of a device shutdown but added to the general performance hit. When Apple store employees were asked about a phone’s declining performance, they had no knowledge of the software patch either. Phones tested by the geniuses revealed no battery deficits(!) or other hardware issues. Customers were advised that their older phones had reached the peak of their processing abilities. A considerable number of users testified that they unnecessarily purchased new phones on that advice.
Meanwhile, a tech blogger discovered the software patch and demonstrated that a new battery would restore performance to like-new levels, but users like myself who immediately took this insight to the geniuses, were told that our tested batteries were within Apple’s specs. Even if you insisted on buying a new battery, as I did, they refused. Their policy was they did not do maintenance, only repairs. I bought a replacement battery from iFixit and installed it myself. Sure enough, its Geekbench score was restored to like-new levels.
Ultimately, affected users were outraged that Apple didn’t disclose either the software band-aid nor the battery solution. The stunt disproved Apple’s integrity and added to suspicions that products are purposely obsoleted. Apple was busted and had a serious PR matter that it couldn’t convincingly explain away. To soften the blow from the numerous lawsuits that were filed, and to regain trust, Apple launched its battery replacement program.
This is just the first of many fines/settlements I suspect they’ll pay.