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If you have an older iPhone, you may have noticed it slowing down. Apps may take longer to open, mail may take longer to refresh and websites may take longer to load.
The lethargy of your iPhone may propel you to upgrade to a speedy quick newer model. Realizing that time is money, you check out the latest phone, amazed at how snappy the apps are.
But the problem may not be your iPhone. If you have an iPhone 6, 6s, 7 or SE, your phone may be slower because of software Apple uses to preserve battery life.
Don’t miss => How to See Which Apps Are Using Most of Your Battery and Your Time.
Why Older iPhones Are Slower
You may think your older iPhone is slower because, well, it’s older and not as powerful as the newer ones. But that not be the case.
Someone decided to investigate why his older iPhone got so much slower. He discovered software code in iOS 11 called “Powerd” that’s designed to slow the performance of iPhones.
When he posted his finding on Reddit using the user name TeckFire, the public response was strong.
Tech Crunch reached out to Apple to ask about iPhones slowing down. The company responded, explaining that it purposely slowed older iPhones to preserve battery life.
“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.
Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”
The problem with that explanation was that Apple never informed its customers that it was slowing iPhones. Nor did it give its customers the option of having a faster phone with a shorter battery life.
The Fix
Older iPhones can be restored to original speeds. Replacing the iPhone battery with a new one returns older iPhones to their full speed and maximum performance.
This tweet illustrates how an older iPhone performs with the original battery versus a new battery:
So it’s true Apple intentionally slow down old iPhones. Proof: My iPhone 6 was bought 3years ago and recently got really slow. APP ‘CPU DasherX’ shows iPhone CPU is under clocked running at 600MHz. After a iPhone battery replacement. CPU speed resumed to factory setting 1400MHz. pic.twitter.com/pML3y0Jkp2
— Sam_Si (@sam_siruomu) December 20, 2017
On Thursday, Apple released a statement that more fully explained the situation. In that statement, they also offered a reduced price on new batteries for iPhones that were not covered under warranty. It lowered the price of replacing the batteries in iPhones from $79 to $29 through the end of 2018.
So if you’re inclined to replace your iPhone battery, now would be an excellent time to do so.
Apple will also soon release release an update to the iPhone’s iOS operating system. This update will allow the user to see the health of the iPhone battery and learn whether the condition of the battery is affecting the performance of the phone.
You can read Apple’s full statement here: A Message to Our Customers about iPhone Batteries and Performance.
=> Also see, How a Scientific Discovery May Make Batteries Last Forever.
How to Replace Your iPhone Battery
If you want to replace your iPhone battery, you should know that this isn’t something you should do by yourself. If you replace the battery yourself, or have someone else do it who isn’t authorized by Apple, you’ll void the warranty on your iPhone (if you have any warranty left on your phone).
Unlike some phones that have removable batteries where you snap off the back cover and pop out the battery, iPhones do not have easily removable batteries.
So your best option is to take your iPhone to an Apple store or authorized retailer to get the battery replaced, or send it to Apple for replacement. This option is especially compelling since the price of replacing the battery of your iPhone is now only $29.
For the price of $29, you’ll be getting a faster iPhone with a longer battery life. You may be able to postpone paying for a new iPhone for several more years by replacing the battery on your current iPhone.
Apple Support App
If you’re going to take your iPhone to an Apple store for the battery replacement, or any repair, you should use the Apple Support app first. The Apple Support app is a free app that connects you to Apple to help diagnose the problem. Apple Support app on iTunes.
You can discuss your problems with Apple over the phone or in a chat. They can help you figure out what is wrong and make an appointment for you at the nearest Apple store or arrange for shipping your iPhone to Apple.
By using the Apple Support app, you can make an appointment at the Apple store at a time that’s convenient to you and avoid waiting a long time once you arrive.
Lawsuits Aplenty
If you’re angry at Apple about this situation, rest assured you’re not alone. As of this writing, no fewer than eight class-action lawsuits have been filed against Apple for slowing older iPhones.
One of those lawsuits is asking for damages of $999 billion. That’s billions, with a “b”. (If you were thinking trillions with a “t”, you’d be way off.)
$999 billion would pay for well over 344 billion batteries, which is many more batteries than the number of iPhones that have ever been sold. See, Forbes Apple Has Sold 1.2 Billion iPhones Over the Past 10 Years [Infographic] June 27, 2017.
Your Thoughts
Have you experienced any problems with an older iPhone? Have you noticed that it has become slower lately? Will you be replacing your iPhone battery?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
*iPhone image (edited) courtesy of rawpixel via Pexel and Creative Commons
Hello Carolyn,
Good one over here 🙂
I have seen this with many, once an I phone gets old, means the company has launched 2 new versions or they get couple of year
old, they tend to perform slower. Yeah its obvious that batteries do need replacement and after years and years of daily usage
they tend to perform slower than their fresh life.
Thanks for the share.
Shantanu.
Hi Shantanu, Yes, the battery gets weaker over time, but the software code Apple introduced in iOS 11 purposely slowed the operations of the phone to preserve battery life. Apple did this without telling its users, nor giving them the option to turn off this code.
The solutions Apple has offered seem fair, and users of older iPhones should take advantage of the lower prices for replacement batteries while the offer is available. For $29 you will have the benefits of the speed of your phone when it was new, and a much longer battery life.
Hello Carolyn,
I hope your 2018 has started off just fine.
I did follow some threads regarding this “slowness” in iPhones but I thought this was limited to only until the 6s and none of the 7 or 7plus are affected. I do own the 7plus and my wife has the 7 and we actually did not find anything adverse with the new iOS.
Anyway, nice to have a guide here to go to for everyone to solve their slowness.
Hi Praveen, Happy 2018 to you too! I hope the year has started off well for you, as it has for me.
I’m glad that your phone and your wife’s phone are doing well and haven’t experienced any slowing down of their speeds. Do keep in mind the great deal of a new battery from Apple for $29, as that is a great deal, no matter what. You may be able to postpone an upgrade to a new phone jut by spending $29 for a new battery!