Investigations into Apple's iPhone Battery Slowdowns Spread to Italy and South Korea

[MacRumors]

Italy and South Korea on Thursday joined a growing list of countries in which class-action lawsuits and government investigations into Apple's iPhone battery slowdowns are underway.

Italy's antitrust body revealed it had opened a probe into allegations that Apple used iOS updates to slow older smartphones and push clients into buying new models (via Reuters). The Italian watchdog said Apple had failed to inform customers that the updates might have a negative impact on the performance of their phones, suggesting the company might have infringed four separate articles of the national consumers' code.

In a first among the recent wave of battery probes, Samsung is also suspected of orchestrating "a general commercial policy taking advantage of the lack of certain components to curb the performance times of their products and induce consumers to buy new versions," said the Italian watchdog. If found guilty, the two companies risk multi-million euro fines.

Meanwhile, a South Korean consumer group has filed a criminal complaint against Apple CEO Tim Cook, accusing his company of defrauding iPhone users by slowing down devices without warning to compensate for poor battery performance.

In its complaint, filed Thursday, the advocacy group Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty accused Apple of destruction of property and fraud. According to Reuters, the group also represents around 120 plaintiffs in a civil damage suit filed against Apple earlier in January.

Apple has already admitted that it slows down some older iPhones with degraded batteries during times of peak power usage in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns, and accepts that it should have provided a clearer explanation when it introduced the power management feature in iOS 10.2.1.

Following an apology, Apple has implemented a battery replacement program that allows all customers with an iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, and SE to replace their batteries for a reduced fee through the end of 2018.

Apple has also said it is introducing better battery monitoring features in a future iOS update, which will include the ability for customers to turn off the power management feature it introduced in iOS 10.2.1. However, despite efforts to rectify the issue, the company is now facing lawsuits, state investigations, or consumer group probes in countries including China, France, and the U.S. over the controversy.

Article Link: Investigations into Apple's iPhone Battery Slowdowns Spread to Italy and South Korea

 

[TiggrToo]

How shocking - Italy (arguably a hotbed for corruption if history is anything to go by so hardly the most saintly of administrations) probes both Apple and Samsung, yet South Korea conveniently just focus's on Apple.

Go figure!

 

[69Mustang]

How shocking - Italy (arguably a hotbed for corruption if history is anything to go by so hardly the most saintly of administrations) probes both Apple and Samsung, yet South Korea conveniently just focus's on Apple.

Go figure!

Out of all the class actions and government inquiries going on, you want to claim S. Korea conveniently just focus on Apple? This is the hot taek you want to go with? I am pretty sure you can come up with something better.

 

[YaBe]

How shocking - Italy (arguably a hotbed for corruption if history is anything to go by so hardly the most saintly of administrations) probes both Apple and Samsung, yet South Korea conveniently just focus's on Apple.

Go figure!

Well.. just because things are more "obvious" in Italy, that does not make it the most "corrupted"... I mean it is not like any other Country is "claner".

 

[KingSH007]

What is there to investigate? Apple said the slowdowns are to prevent random shutdowns which occurred on iOS 10-10.2. Everything is cleared up.

Not to mention we'll be getting a toggle to turn off throttling on iOS 11.3. Just drop this already.

 

[YaBe]

What is there to investigate? Apple said the slowdowns are to prevent random shutdowns which occurred on iOS 10-10.2. Everything is cleared up.

Not to mention we'll be getting a toggle to turn off throttling on iOS 11.3. Just drop this already.

The sole fact that this "has been cleared up" AFTER investigation started should tell you something, and the Toggle we will be getting, is a consequences of that, so for me, long lives this kind of things, they will help getting a better product.

Had Apple been honest and upfront from the beginning we would not have needed this kind of actions.

EDIT:
Apple was also saying that they weren't slowing iPhones down, we all know how that went. Don't believe everything a Company (any company) tells you.

 

[KingSH007]

The sole fact that this "has been cleared up" AFTER investigation started should tell you something, and the Toggle we will be getting, is a consequences of that, so for me, long lives this kind of things, they will help getting a better product.

Had Apple been honest and upfront from the beginning we would not have needed this kind of actions.

EDIT:
Apple was also saying that they weren't slowing iPhones down, we all know how that went. Don't believe evrything a Company (any company) tells you.

Apple didn't tell anyone because that's how Apple works, not because they wanted to secretly get people to upgrade to a newer device. Sure, along the way of implementing the fix, they probably realized the monetary benefits of the throttling, but that wasn't their initial intention. Apple is not malicious. They just didn't want the controversy of announcing the slowdowns (which is exactly what is happening right now, proving my point).

And technically, they didn't slow down iPhones. They slowed down iPhones with a battery below 80% capacity. So they weren't technically lying, just bending the truth.

 

[Jsameds]

Apple was also saying that they weren't slowing iPhones down, we all know how that went. Don't believe everything a Company (any company) tells you.

I've seen a few people say this and I seem to remember something of the ilk, but when I went looking for the article recently I couldn't find anything, do you have a link?

 

[YaBe]

Apple is not malicious.

Apple is a Business, not good, not evil, a business. they do stuff to make money not to please people.

They just didn't want the controversy of announcing the slowdowns (which is exactly what is happening right now, proving my point).

Guess hiding did not work as planned now did it? Probably being more upfront would have saved from what they were trying to avoid....

 

[TiggrToo]

Well.. just because things are more "obvious" in Italy, that does not make it the most "corrupted"... I mean it is not like any other Country is "claner".

Yeah, well, sadly for you it is; last year it ranked as the third most corrupt country in the EU, beaten only by Greece and Bulgaria in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

There is a high risk of corruption for businesses operating in Italy. Public procurement, in particular, presents a high risk of corruption, as it involves large resources and exposes companies to organized crime. The integrity of public officials is marred by their relationships with organized crime and businesses.

Source: http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/italy​

And the comment about South Korea is because Samsung (for those who apparently are not aware of why I made the comment) is South Korea's industrial darling and potentially one of the last countries that'll blame Samsung unless their hand is forced by a debacle so severe, so catastrophic, that they have no choice otherwise.

 

[bpp85]

How shocking - Italy (arguably a hotbed for corruption if history is anything to go by so hardly the most saintly of administrations) probes both Apple and Samsung, yet South Korea conveniently just focus's on Apple.

Go figure!

Are you an American? Every time another country is mentioned Americans seem to start dissing other countries, it’s getting really annoying. What Apple did with slowing down phones was wrong and other countries are going to investigate this issue!

 

[YaBe]

Yeah, well, sadly for you it is; last year it ranked as the third most corrupt country in the EU, beaten only by Greece and Bulgaria in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

There is a high risk of corruption for businesses operating in Italy. Public procurement, in particular, presents a high risk of corruption, as it involves large resources and exposes companies to organized crime. The integrity of public officials is marred by their relationships with organized crime and businesses.

Source: http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/italy​

And the comment about South Korea is because Samsung (for those who apparently are not aware of why I made the comment) is South Korea's industrial darling and potentially one of the last countries that'll blame Samsung unless their hand is forced by a debacle so severe, so catastrophic, that they have no choice otherwise.

I repeat, Just because "we" get cought more often does not mean we have more of that (I am not saying there is little corrutpion here, quite the opposite but still each country hase i guess the same ammount give or take).

Yes it might look like corruption is "born" in Italy, but the reality is, people talk a lot more about ours than theirs

Are you arguing with a ranking?? so are you telling me I could not "buy" a good ranking ?

Media here talk more freely here than anywere in the world, so that might also help spread the world faster, I could cite many instances where in other country the media were not allowed to talk about it.

 

[TiggrToo]

Are you an American? Every time another country is mentioned Americans seem to start dissing other countries, it’s getting really annoying. What Apple did with slowing down phones was wrong and other countries are going to investigate this issue!

Sadly for you, I'm not, I'm a Brit. But way to go in slamming the yanks.

And what Apple did was just fine according the the EULA, at least in the United States where the EULA was drafted and where a lot of whiners come from whining that their out-of-warranty device is apparently out-of-warranty.

You may find my post annoying; meanwhile I find all the whining crybabies out there who apparently feel that Apple needs to give them freebies and want to sue them as a result (45 class-action lawsuits last I remember) to be equally as annoying.

 

[bpp85]

Sadly for you, I'm not, I'm a Brit. But way to go in slamming the yanks.

And what Apple did was just fine according the the EULA, at least in the United States where the EULA was drafted and where a lot of whiners come from whining that their out-of-warranty device is apparently out-of-warranty.

You may find my post annoying; meanwhile I find all the whining crybabies out there who apparently feel that Apple needs to give them freebies and want to sue them as a result (45 class-action lawsuits last I remember) to be equally as annoying.

I was not slamming “the yanks”. I just noticed a lot of Americans posting negative stuff when another country is mentioned, so I figured you could be an American, but considering the UK’s view of EU lately I can add you guys to the list as well

I haven’t noticed people wanting freebies. When I buy an Apple product I want that product to work as advertised for 24 months with normal use. Is that too much to ask for?

 

[YaBe]

When I buy an Apple product I want that product to work as advertised for 24 months with normal use. Is that too much to ask for?

100% This!

Not for the money myself, but want what I purchased to work as advertized and not being "messed with".

I also add that I had pretty much all iPhone (except the 2g one) and NEVER ever experienced a shutdown like the one Apple is "trying to prevent" now, yes the battery lasted less, but the performance was there and never a reboot.....

The only time I experienced a reboot due to battery, that was over 5 years old, so it is either bad programming on their side lately (likely given the QC they have now that they sell more than before) or, well you know....Apple is messing with older devices.

Gone are the days of the "IT JUST WORKS", it was possible due to the "low volume" now they are just making as much products as they can, and quality thanked to other manufacturers level.

 

[BvizioN]

I think this is a remarkable achievement by human species. Surely Aliens must be laughing their heads off if they are following this "battery drama" that have plagued the human planet, from their mothership somewhere in the deep space!!

 

[Solomani]

What is there to investigate? Apple said the slowdowns are to prevent random shutdowns which occurred on iOS 10-10.2. Everything is cleared up.

Not to mention we'll be getting a toggle to turn off throttling on iOS 11.3. Just drop this already.

Bankrupt countries want a few billion pieces of the Apple pie.

 

[Jsameds]

I think this is a remarkable achievement by human species. Surely Aliens must be laughing their heads off if they are following this "battery drama" that have plagued the human planet, from their mothership somewhere in the deep space!!

Yeah, they be laughing until they get stranded in deep space because their engine couldn't maintain full power for the 5 year journey and cut itself off when they hit 30% fuel.

 

[bpp85]

Bankrupt countries want a few billion pieces of the Apple pie.

Maybe some countries want to investigate this issue further to see if Apple violated consumer rights in those countries?

 

[TiggrToo]

I was not slamming “the yanks”. I just noticed a lot of Americans posting negative stuff when another country is mentioned, so I figured you could be an American, but considering the UK’s view of EU lately I can add you guys to the list as well

I haven’t noticed people wanting freebies. When I buy an Apple product I want that product to work as advertised for 24 months with normal use. Is that too much to ask for?

Depends on the warranty. You want longer, buy AppleCare.

And yes, people here have demanded Apple give them free batteries. That most definitely comes under the 'freebies' banner...

 

[BvizioN]

Yeah, they be laughing until they get stranded in deep space because their engine couldn't maintain full power for the 5 year journey and cut itself off when they hit 30% fuel.

No, it won't be a problem for them until someone points it out to them that it is a problem. Then the whole hell breaks loose and it is the worst tragedy ever. Kind of similar stuff with humans you know...! Or maybe not.

 

[itsmilo]

And still nothing from Germany. People are like „meh its not really like I can do anything about it anyway“. I hate this way of thinking sometimes

 

[Lancer]

So Apple and others (Samsung) decide to make your old phone more stable by slowing them down a little and giving the end user a better over all experience, so now they are being sued and fined? This is crazy ****.

My bet is most people didn't even care or realise it was happening and even when Apple updates iOS to allow users to make the choice, most will take a longer battery life over more power and an unstable phone.

 

[bpp85]

Depends on the warranty. You want longer, buy AppleCare.

And yes, people here have demanded Apple give them free batteries. That most definitely comes under the 'freebies' banner...

The warranty in the EU is 24 months. No need to buy AppleCare. I heard it’s even longer in the UK, but it’s hard to argue and get longer coverage.

If your iPhone is under warranty and your iPhone starts shutting down or has to be slowed down it doesn’t shut down and your battery is in 80-85% health and even passes Apple’s own tests I would argue you have a right to ask Apple to fix your device so it works as advertised. If a new battery is needed to achieve that, so be it. That’s my view on this...

 

[cocky jeremy]

What’s to investigate? The phones became unstable due to batteries that ALL degrade over time, and Apple issued a fix. It’s like complaining you have to drive slower on icy roads and wanting to sue your car manufacturer over it. The whole thing is stupid.