Batterygate[1][2][3] is a term used to describe deliberate processor slowdowns on Apple's iPhones, in order to prevent handsets with degraded batteries shutting down when under high load.
Critics argued the slowdown amounted to planned obsolescence, however this may stem from the common misconception that all older iPhones were slowed down. Some have argued that introducing a feature to prevent handsets with degraded batteries from rebooting is in fact the opposite of planned obsolescence since a slower non-rebooting phone would be preferable to the alternative.
Other criticism has come from the fact that the affected handsets were slowed down without explanation or other options provided to the user. Apple has since updated iOS to provide notifications and settings to allow users visibility of the throttling and even the ability to disable the throttling if the user prefers to have their phone reboot under high load.
The controversy first emerged in late-2016, when it was reported that since a recent iOS update, some iPhone handsets had begun to experience unexpected shutdowns when their battery capacity reached 30%, caused by drops in the battery's terminal voltage below a threshold of around three volts required for operation of the device.[4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Batterygate: A Complete History of Apple Throttling iPhones". iFixit. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Perlow, Jason. "Batterygate: Apple betrayed its customers and now it faces a world of hurt". ZDNet. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Causes and Fixes of Unexpected Phone Shutoffs - RTCL ... rtcl.eecs.umich.edu › assets › 2020" (PDF). 15 June 2020.