Facing lawsuits and consumer outrage
after it said it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries,
Apple Inc is slashing prices for battery replacements
and will change its software to show users whether their phone
battery is good.
In a posting on its website Thursday, Apple apologised over
its handling of the battery issue and said it would make a
number of changes for customers "to recognise their loyalty and
to regain the trust of anyone who may have doubted Apple’s
intentions."
Apple made the move to address concerns about the quality
and durability of its products at a time when it is charging
$999 for its newest flagship model, the iPhone X.
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The company said it would cut the price of an
out-of-warranty battery replacement from $79 to $29 (from R980 to R360) for an
iPhone 6 or later, starting next month. The company also will
update its iOS operating system to let users see whether their
battery is in poor health and is affecting the phone's
performance.
"We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down,"
Apple said in its posting. "We apologise."
On December 20, Apple acknowledged that iPhone software has the
effect of slowing down some phones with battery problems. Apple
said the problem was that aging lithium batteries delivered
power unevenly, which could cause iPhones to shutdown
unexpectedly to protect the delicate circuits inside.
That disclosure played on a common belief among consumers
that Apple purposely slows down older phones to encourage
customers to buy newer iPhone models. While no credible evidence
has ever emerged that Apple engaged in such conduct, the battery
disclosure struck a nerve on social media and elsewhere.
Apple on Thursday denied that it has ever done anything to
intentionally shorten the life of a product.
At least eight lawsuits have been filed in California, New
York and Illinois alleging that the company defrauded users by
slowing devices down without warning them. The
company also faces a legal complaint in France, where so-called
"planned obsolesce" is against the law.