Apple Faces Multi-State US Probe Into Older iPhones Slowing, Shutting Down

Apple is being investigated for its throttling, or slowing down, of iPhones through power management software.

By Reuters | Updated: 30 July 2020 12:18 IST

Apple Faces Multi-State US Probe Into Older iPhones Slowing, Shutting Down

Investigators have asked Apple for data about "unexpected shutdowns" of iPhones

Highlights

The probe is ongoing since October 2018
In 2017, Primate Labs revealed iPhones became slower as they aged
The attorneys general offices in Arizona and Texas declined to comment

Arizona is leading a multi-US state investigation into whether Apple's deliberate slowing of older iPhones violated deceptive trade practice laws, documents reviewed by Reuters on Wednesday showed.

In the ongoing probe since at least October 2018, investigators have asked Apple for data about "unexpected shutdowns" of iPhones and the company's throttling, or slowing down, of the devices through power management software, documents Reuters obtained from Texas through a public records request showed.

Last week, a separate document obtained from Texas by a tech watchdog group showed that Texas' attorney general was involved in the investigation but did not specify the issues being investigated nor which state was leading the effort.

A majority of US states, representing both Democratic and Republican attorneys general, are teaming up on the investigation, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The attorneys general offices in Arizona and Texas declined to comment. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

Apple came under fire in 2017 when Primate Labs, the maker of software for measuring a phone's processor speeds, revealed that some iPhones became slower as they aged.

Apple later acknowledged that it reduced power demands - which can slow the processor - when an aging phone's battery struggles to supply the peak current the processor demands. Apple said without its adjustments, iPhones would have unexpectedly shut down from power spikes.

Outraged iPhone users said that appeared to confirm long-held suspicions that Apple slowed older devices to encourage users to buy new phones. Apple publicly apologised and slashed prices on battery replacements.

Earlier this year, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million (roughly Rs. 3,740 crores) to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit related to the battery issues.

© Thomson Reuters 2020

Is Redmi Note 9 the perfect successor to Redmi Note 8? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.