iOS 11.3 Beta to Get Throttling Kill Switch in February as Apple Trials 'Reserve a Battery' System in Canada [Updated]

[Tech198]

I guess this could be a good alternative, but Apple is really deciding giving customers a choice:

"Do you want to protect an old battery" or "not"

Nothing like what Apple should be saying, but anyway. The problem is still there, user is just delaying as the expense of trying to get better performance

Its like running an 80 year old car into the ground, and still trying to get that bit extra when you know the solution if to get a new engine..

This is one of those times. I'm just hoping all of this will blow over. Apple will wake up, and users, and Apple will understand again what their goal of a phone even means to them.

 

[Goncalo]

I am going to try this AND get free battery. They is no reason I should have 10 second delay on typing text messages and very slow email (all since ios11). They lied when they said it slows things down SOME. its a heck of a lot.

I did get an appointment at an Apple store in Canada but Apple refuse to change my battery because it was not the original battery!!
They told me that from now on, no more service will be done on my phone because it became ineligible since I change the battery my self even after warranty!!!

 

[koruki]

This is what Apple said would happen ... not what real world users have said. So this claim remains to be seen. I have a feeling a lot of phones won't be randomly shutting down with this off. The incessant need to defend a claim from Apple without verifiable proof is a bit disconcerting.

That use to be a common occurrence and actually it wasn't til this leaked that I noticed I haven't had a unexpected power down in recent years. You do know this was a REPORTED bug for many years...by users right?

 

[rockrigo]

I only see more chaos as this grows.
[doublepost=1517438023][/doublepost]

How about at someone?

line up the Apple execs

 

[expiredyogurt]

was thinking about getting the battery replaced but never found the time to do so. now that i can reserve it, i've went ahead and reserve the battery. lets see how it goes tho.

 

[Keirasplace]

This is what users have said:
Macrumors 2016 IPhone 6 shutting down
Macrumors 2015: Some iPhone 6s Owners Seeing Their Phones Randomly Shut Off
Macrumors 2016 iPhone 6 Pluse [shutdown]
Macrumors 2016: South Korea Considering Investigation of iPhone 6s Battery Shutdown Issue
iPhone 6s turning off at 10-20%
Plenty plenty more links from 2015 to 2016.
Haven’t even checked Reddit yet.

I think the Iphone 6 ones, are related to the actual battery having issues and a batch of who knows how many from that period where recalled.
I think it is the fact that the Iphone 6 and 6s don't have small cores (like the 7, 8 and X) while being a certain level of performance that put extra peak stress on the battery meaning that age related issues happen earlier than before the 5s.

That's why you have shutdowns under peak usage in even normal batteries in iphones that have been cycled 500 times (which can be done in one year under heavy usage). Not everyone gets hit but say 10% after one year are in this territory. With a lower peak, like in older phones like the 4s, this would have happened later (performance has a price and batteries are not infinite).

The "throttle" under load in older phone in a fact reproduce circumstances that occured normally in less performing older iphones.

 

[tresmith]

Just replaced my iphone SE's battery today through Office Depot. They are having a special of $30. Very worth it. Never really noticed a slow down but my battery definitely didn't last long.

 

[Glideslope]

line up the Apple execs

Arthur and the BOD need to get off their ass and make changes.

 

[mtneer]

My guess is that is where Jony Ive's obsession with thinness caught up with battery and engineering capabilities. The battery that fit couldn't supply the requirements of the new chipset and the larger display.

Indeed.. and that he designed Apple's campus in prime earthquake country is frightening.

 

[slippery-pete]

I did get an appointment at an Apple store in Canada but Apple refuse to change my battery because it was not the original battery!!
They told me that from now on, no more service will be done on my phone because it became ineligible since I change the battery my self even after warranty!!!

And its Apples fault you decided to change your battery yourself? Pretty well known that anytime you do work yourself on your phone that you'll be on your own...

 

[iflyer]

I am going to try this AND get free battery. They is no reason I should have 10 second delay on typing text messages and very slow email (all since ios11). They lied when they said it slows things down SOME. its a heck of a lot.

Keep in mind, your phone likely has another issue. That is way too slow for this issue alone.

 

[bcave098]

Indeed.. and that he designed Apple's campus in prime earthquake country is frightening.

Apple's head office has been within 2 km of 1 Infinite Loop since 1977. Jony Ive isn't an architect, regardless.

 

[fmalloy]

(deleted)

 

[partydorm]

Husband caught cheating, can I trust you again?

 

[forerunnerg34]

This incessant need to attack everything Apple does without verifiable proof is a bit disconcerting. You literally say "I have a feeling" to support your point but demand "verifiable Proof" for theirs. Hypocrite much?

I have doubts about Apple being honest about slowing devices because:

1. When people was complaining about iPhones being ridicuilously slow right after an iOS update, Apple watched and remained in silence.
2. Macrumors posted an article about a benchmark that said Apple is not slowing devices on purpose. Apple remained in silence.
3. A new benchmark surfaced about a possible relation between batteries and iPhones being slow. Apple reamained in silence.
4. The news got some traction.
5. The good Apple said ohh yes we are doing that... we put it on the release notes, maybe we were not very clear, but yeah... all betteries die, we want you to think you are getting the best experience so shipping garbage batteries in our premium phones is not good PR so we will say that shut dows are normal, don't think about it, just get a new battery.
6. Since we always do what customers want we will implement a switch right away! We designed to be turned on and off so we can release that feature in weeks.

You see, is because people had a feeling that something was wrong that pushed a bechmark, and that benchmak exposed Apple, Apple never came forward before that. Do you have a verifiable proof o a feeling that Apple is telling the complete truth or remaining in silence, again? I only see my iPad Air being slowed down right after finishing an iOS update, my iPad Pro 2nd gen becoming slow right after the update , an iPhones 5s that became unusable after the update, that is all that I have and that reinforces my disbelieve in the Apple brand. I remember when an iOS update was suppose to upgrade your experience, now seems to be something scary.

 

[Jesse Waugh]

whether it was Apples intention or not

I can’t believe anyone could believe that Apple’s throttling of iPhone performance could be accidental. This isn’t kindergarten. They know exactly what they’re doing. They’ve got leagues of the most capable programmers and engineers in the world.
[doublepost=1517474448][/doublepost]

If these are the choices people have, either have their iPhone run like crap, or have it crash, I think Apple needs to re-think their design in batteries, hardware, and software. This shouldn't be a choice.

Also, it was not just "old" iPhones that were having shutdown issues. My 6s Plus was having the issues, and it was not old at all. When I called Apple Care, the rep on the phone said that he was getting a lot of calls just like mine. It sounds like it was either a flaw in the design, or a bad lot of batteries.

IMO, Apple just tried to fix their hardware error with software.

It’s textbook planned obsolescence.

 

[Black Tiger]

I’d prefer “0% battery really means 0% battery” and “don’t throttle my phone” switch. I accept a device shutting down at 0%, but not at 30%.

But that’s precisely what Apple did by throttling the processor. The random shutdowns have nothing to do with the battery percentage and everything to do with voltage. This type of misunderstanding is likely why Apple didn’t try to explain it in the first place.

 

[Phonephreak]

I have doubts about Apple being honest about slowing devices because:

1. When people was complaining about iPhones being ridicuilously slow right after an iOS update, Apple watched and remained in silence.
2. Macrumors posted an article about a benchmark that said Apple is not slowing devices on purpose. Apple remained in silence.
3. A new benchmark surfaced about a possible relation between batteries and iPhones being slow. Apple reamained in silence.
4. The news got some traction.
5. The good Apple said ohh yes we are doing that... we put it on the release notes, maybe we were not very clear, but yeah... all betteries die, we want you to think you are getting the best experience so shipping garbage batteries in our premium phones is not good PR so we will say that shut dows are normal, don't think about it, just get a new battery.
6. Since we always do what customers want we will implement a switch right away! We designed to be turned on and off so we can release that feature in weeks.

You see, is because people had a feeling that something was wrong that pushed a bechmark, and that benchmak exposed Apple, Apple never came forward before that. Do you have a verifiable proof o a feeling that Apple is telling the complete truth or remaining in silence, again? I only see my iPad Air being slowed down right after finishing an iOS update, my iPad Pro 2nd gen becoming slow right after the update , an iPhones 5s that became unusable after the update, that is all that I have and that reinforces my disbelieve in the Apple brand. I remember when an iOS update was suppose to upgrade your experience, now seems to be something scary.

Don’t forget hat right before they released this “feature” any app that told battery health gone. Plus Apple pulled it from their own setting. Hmmmmm

 

[bashman2020]

well I believe what apple means by giving us the option to turn off throttling cpu speed is not for our phones to run badly but to give us maximum cpu peak experience and not an iphone running slow like snails iphones would run at maximum peak when the feature is turned off but there might be shorter battery life like when your phone is low 20% or 15% the phone might die and you might need to charge that's what they mean so the only reason for the throttling enabled is to give us a better battery life when battery starts to degrade and there's no point in that

 

[clystron]

You clearly know nothing about battery technology. The discharge curve of lipo batteries is very well known, and easily measured. They clearly weren’t “estimates” in previous phone models, nor other manufacturers phones.

View attachment 749352

That curve shows a constant current discharge, not something that happens in a mobile device. Also it will vary between individual batteries and change over time and the exact curve is only really known after the battery has been discharged. Thats why it is always an estimate based on past behaviour.

Measuring the discharge characteristics (especially on the low end) is also quite hard if a device never does full cycles but only moves on certain parts of the curve (100-50% for example).

 

[Tiger8]

"I'd like my phone to turn off unexpectedly instead of running slowly."

Choices are good, I guess.

These are our choices with mediocore software that runs on $999 devices. Thanks Apple!

 

[Spinnetti]

I am an absolute Apple-lover, not hater.
But this switch was the obvious thing to do in the first place. Give the user the choice.

When your car has a problem it goes into "limp mode" and reduced functionality - you have no choice. Why do you expect choice here? That said, they should notify you that you are in reduced mode and to charge or replace the battery

 

[honglong1976]

I think the Iphone 6 ones, are related to the actual battery having issues and a batch of who knows how many from that period where recalled.
I think it is the fact that the Iphone 6 and 6s don't have small cores (like the 7, 8 and X) while being a certain level of performance that put extra peak stress on the battery meaning that age related issues happen earlier than before the 5s.

That's why you have shutdowns under peak usage in even normal batteries in iphones that have been cycled 500 times (which can be done in one year under heavy usage). Not everyone gets hit but say 10% after one year are in this territory. With a lower peak, like in older phones like the 4s, this would have happened later (performance has a price and batteries are not infinite).

The "throttle" under load in older phone in a fact reproduce circumstances that occured normally in less performing older iphones.

My iPhone 5S has had nearly 1600 charge cycles. It still retains over 80% capacity and doesn't shut down under load. It just drains quicker!

There is obviously a battery issues with the iPhone 6/6S. I remember Apple doing a recall at some point.
[doublepost=1517493705][/doublepost]

I have doubts about Apple being honest about slowing devices because:

1. When people was complaining about iPhones being ridicuilously slow right after an iOS update, Apple watched and remained in silence.
2. Macrumors posted an article about a benchmark that said Apple is not slowing devices on purpose. Apple remained in silence.
3. A new benchmark surfaced about a possible relation between batteries and iPhones being slow. Apple reamained in silence.
4. The news got some traction.
5. The good Apple said ohh yes we are doing that... we put it on the release notes, maybe we were not very clear, but yeah... all betteries die, we want you to think you are getting the best experience so shipping garbage batteries in our premium phones is not good PR so we will say that shut dows are normal, don't think about it, just get a new battery.
6. Since we always do what customers want we will implement a switch right away! We designed to be turned on and off so we can release that feature in weeks.

You see, is because people had a feeling that something was wrong that pushed a bechmark, and that benchmak exposed Apple, Apple never came forward before that. Do you have a verifiable proof o a feeling that Apple is telling the complete truth or remaining in silence, again? I only see my iPad Air being slowed down right after finishing an iOS update, my iPad Pro 2nd gen becoming slow right after the update , an iPhones 5s that became unusable after the update, that is all that I have and that reinforces my disbelieve in the Apple brand. I remember when an iOS update was suppose to upgrade your experience, now seems to be something scary.

Apple know what they are doing.

1. Customer buys iPhone - it's fast
2. Customer's iPhone is slow
3. Customer takes iPhone to store. They don't mention it needs a new battery
4. Customer is shown a new iPhone
5. Customer buys new iPhone

Repeat!

They are adding the setting because they got caught out!

 

[Handsome Bacon]

I've about had it with this company. On January 10th I went in to the Apple store for an appointment I set several days earlier for this battery replacement. I get there, they make me disable "Find My iPhone", look at it for a minute, hand the phone back to me and say, "OK we'll call you when we have a battery." That was three weeks ago. Nothing since then. No call or email from them at all. The phone is borderline agonizing to use.

I think a Pixel is in my future.

 

[jsmith78]

For sure, and I am sure that different things about the battery's performance suffers; be it life under light or heavy load, recharge times, life at different temperatures and others I cannot imagine. But, Apple told me my battery was healthy. It was not. And iOS knew it was not because it was throttling phone performance based on battery health.

They cannot have it both ways. They cannot tell me to my face my battery is great, and then behind my back throttle my phone based on my battery being too degraded to work properly.

I 100% agree with this statement! While I like the solution of the system operating within the limits of the battery to prevent crashes, if it requires a reduction of performance then by definition the battery is compromised and the user should be notified.