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Better if Apple had been forthcoming about the reasons in the first place to save them the negative PR they are now trying to address with these announcements. Still, good news for the consumer in terms of the price reduction on a battery replacement.

If you had it done at an Apple Store, contact them. They might make an adjustment.
They were forthcoming. You didn't read the docs or any of the available information before and after the 10.2.1 release. That's not Apple's fault.
 
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So, what about the related issue:
...the conspiracy belief that Apple code is built into iOS upgrades to make older devices feel slower (to motivate demand for newer devices)? That's the other half of this issue. Remember, how this was detected was with seemingly objective proof of geekbench-type scores.

So, now the conspiracy can be put to the test too. Why? Because if we can use geekbench-type tools to "prove" that Apple was using code to slow down iDevices (subsequently admitted to by Apple), this remedy should mean that a geekbench measurement before getting the battery replaced should significantly improve AFTER Apple replaces the battery.

Else, the "older battery" catalyst was just marketing spin and the conspiracy belief will gain even more steam (and Apple's credibility will take a tangible hit).

If there is an "Evil Apple" purposely slowing down older iDevices with iOS update code (not because of older batteries), that code has to cease being used when the new battery is inserted- else Apple gets caught in using that as an excuse with another round of before & after geekbench-type scores that most certainly will be done (probably by many).

If Apple is the "Angelic Apple" and the slowdowns really are associated with older batteries, a $29 fee is going to bring older iDevices back up to impressively fast speeds (like they used to feel).

Either way, there's a big win for consumers here. Old iDevices will have to benchmark faster. It's the only outcome here that doesn't make Apple look like a liar. From a consumer's perspective, this is the rare win:win. Whether Apple is Evil or Angelic, all of us with older iDevices should see them speed up either because it really is an older battery problem or because Apple now must deactivate "slow down" code so that the battery excuse doesn't look like "you're holding it wrong" spin again.

Apple's excuse sounds plausible. A new battery should resolve the issue and get iDevices back to full speed. The conspiracy also sounds plausible. If it's that and the battery excuse is just spin, that slow-down code must be deactivated to make the excuse seem to actually be the culprit. Either way: older iDevices have to speed up with a $29 battery replacement. Sounds like a bargain to me.
 
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You can go back to having the software that doesn’t limit performance and crashes cause your battery is old
OR... Simply maintain just shortening operating time and reducing performance when the battery charge is very low.

In other words, here's my complaint.

I have an iPad 2 with iOS 9. Now, my iPad is more than 6 years old and utilized regularly, therefore,
most likely, has at least 2,000 charge cycles (which would probably cause the battery to be at 50% or less of the original capability). So, logically, the battery wouldn't be able to provide nearly as much power, i.e., operating time, as it once did -- and I'm okay with that.

However, Apple seems to think I'd rather have the operating time lessen only marginally and sacrifice performance to do so. In some situations, I may agree. Although, as of this moment, absolutely NOT.

Currently, 9 out of 10 attempts to launch an app results in a crash, all applications perform with frequent stuttering / stalling, and some are guaranteed to crash eventually. Granted, a portion of these results are due to apps being optimized for newer hardware, software developers being lazy about proper coding, and other limitations that simply need to be accepted of older equipment. EVEN SO...

Ultimately, I'd expect to have my iPad function properly for one to four hours instead of providing an experience that constantly pushes me into wanting to throw the device through the wall for seven to ten hours or go Office Space revenge scene on it.
 
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Well good on Apple. Most other tech companies wouldn’t even respond as most of them do not support their older products like Apple. I can imagine complaining to samsung about the S6 or S7 and Samsung would say sorry we are too busy trying to sell you the note 8 and developing the S9.

But Samsung never purposely slow down its phone because old battery.

Apple is in fault in first place
 
Are you joking? They slow down processors at under half speed in very short time. There are NO excuse or way of explaining.

Offering a new battery for more money does not even solve the root cause to the problem. That the processors can’t be pushed at full speed for very long.
 
They still have to pretend the gimp ware is needed. Removing it could back fire even more ....when suddenly lots of people’s devices speed up and people agree apple was making their device slower...

Yes, that is likely their view of the matter. Not many people will believe them.
 
What annoys me about this and other things like it is that it sets the precedent that an uninformed public can develop an "outcry" over anything get a result out of Apple. Real shame. The public didn't deserve this level of compromise from Apple. Intelligent CPU management of a device powered by lithium-ion battery is expected and appropriate, and really no one's business besides the engineers.
Sorry, but I respectfully disagree with this sentiment. I have an iPhone 6 that would shutdown around 40% battery life prior to the throttle update. I assumed at the time that it was a software issue since an iOS update "fixed" the problem and since only certain 6s models were eligible for the battery replacement program. I don't expect my battery to last forever, and I'm okay with the CPU being throttled if that's the only feasible option for a normal battery that's highly degraded. But I just want to know up front that there is a problem with the battery and what my options are--whether it's to replace the battery, buy a new phone, or just live with the reduced performance. This outcry followed by Apple's response clears up this being a battery issue and what options are available.
 
Well good on Apple. Most other tech companies wouldn’t even respond as most of them do not support their older products like Apple. I can imagine complaining to samsung about the S6 or S7 and Samsung would say sorry we are too busy trying to sell you the note 8 and developing the S9.

What old product? the 6S is still current and can still be purchased! - Love for someone to compare the battery of a current 6S and one from a year ago
 
Better if Apple had been forthcoming about the reasons in the first place to save them the negative PR they are now trying to address with these announcements. Still, good news for the consumer in terms of the price reduction on a battery replacement.





If you had it done at an Apple Store, contact them. They might make an adjustment.
People would have still deemed it an inapporpriate step to take and demanded something else.

Apple knows the end game is making the customer happy and that's why they are doing this proactively. Even telling people their device may be throttled in some fine print isn't exactly customer friendly. Apple probably misjudged the impact of their software updates to the actual user experience among millions of devices.

Now, they are essentially giving you an at cost battery replacement to make you happy.

Good on Apple.
 
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What I find interesting is that I think we're on the verge of changes in battery chemistry that won't deteriorate in 500 cycles. I wonder what kind of impact that will have on planned obsolescence...
 
My 6S is just over a year old, just over 200 cycles, 90% health yet it throttles back to about 1500 MHz, battery drains fast lately, could be due to iOS 11.2.5 beta.
It's actually not bad at all, I don't see any major slowdowns, but at that price I will get a new battery, this one will be for my girl next year when I buy the X in *SG,KL or HK where I pay €200 less than here in Europe.

*SG = Singapore, KL = Kuala Lumpur, HK = Hong Kong
 
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Great, after I had mine changed a month ago.

As a first course of action, why not contact Apple and see if they'll help you out with some compensation. I'd be shocked if they didn't. It's been my experience they make things right whenever possible if you have a legit gripe.

OTOH, if you're not really interested in that, and find more solace and value being a victim of the evil Apple, well, then you probably did the right thing by posting.
 
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OR... Simply maintain just shortening operating time at reducing performance when the battery charge is very low.

In other words, here's my complaint.

I have an iPad 2 with iOS 9. Now, my iPad is more than 6 years old and utilized regularly, therefore,
most likely, has at least 2,000 charge cycles (which would probably cause the battery to be at 50% or less of the original capability). So, logically, the battery wouldn't be able to provide nearly as much power, i.e., operating time, as it once did -- and I'm okay with that.

However, Apple seems to think I'd rather have the operating time lessen only marginally and sacrifice performance to do so. In some situations, I may agree. Although, as of this moment, absolutely NOT.

Currently, 9 out of 10 attempts to launch an app results in a crash, all applications perform with frequent stuttering / stalling, and some are guaranteed to crash eventually every time. Granted, a portion of these results are due to apps being optimized for newer hardware, software developers being lazy about proper coding, and other limitations that simply need to be accepted of older equipment. EVEN SO...

Ultimately, I'd expect to have my iPad function properly for one to four hours instead of providing an experience that constantly pushes me into wanting to throw the device through the wall for seven to ten hours or go Office Space revenge scene on it.

I’d say your iPad is to old to run some of the apps anyway despite battery concerns
 
Are you joking? They slow down processors at under half speed in very short time. There are NO excuse or way of explaining.

Offering a new battery for more money does not even solve the root cause to the problem. That the processors can’t be pushed at full speed for very long.

There's nothing wrong with the processors, that's just an excuse. If it were real then we would have had reports about iPhone instability prior to iOS 10.2.1.
 
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