Apple Offers Apology For “BatteryGate”

Apple has released a statement addressing “Battery Gate,” the company’s controversial decision to slow down older phones in order to protect battery stability.

The statement included the following, as reported by CNBC: “We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making. First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”

As a result, the company is slashing $50 off the out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement for the next year. A new software update will also launch early next year, giving users more insight into battery life.

Earlier this month, John Poole, founder of software company Primate Labs, found that iPhone 6s models running iOS versions 10.2 and 11.2, and iPhone 7 phones running iOS 11.2, were more likely to have instances of slower processing speed.

Apple confirmed Poole’s findings, noting on Dec. 20 that the tech company was trying to “smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down” when conditions were cold or as batteries aged.

The news caused a social media backlash, as customers expressed outrage that they had not been informed of the change or given the option to replace the battery. It has also resulted in a class-action suit against the Cupertino, California company.

Two California residents, Stefan Bogdanovich and Dakota Speas, filed a suit stating that Apple never got their consent to slow down their iPhones. The two claimed they experienced interference in usage of their iPhone 7 smartphones because of the intentional slowdowns. Both are also claiming damages in the lawsuit, contending that the slowdowns hurt them economically and that they are entitled to compensation from Apple.

While it’s rare for Apple to comment on critical news stories, this isn’t the first time the company has released an apology for a product. Apple shifted its stance on App Store guidelines in 2010, and also issued an extensive apology for issues with the iPhone 4.