If you have purchased the iPhone X, you do not have to worry about Apple throttling its performance as its battery gets older. Apple has confirmed that the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and 8 Plus do not have the performance management system used in older iPhones. The iPhone X and iPhone 8 series come with a “different” power management system that is better able to estimate battery performance and power needs.
The difference in the performance management of the iPhone X and older iPhones
Responding to Senator John Thune (R-SD) in a letter released on Tuesday, Apple said that the performance throttling features it added to older iPhones were no longer needed on the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. It means Apple might not deliberately slow down the newer iPhones as their batteries age to avoid unexpected shutdowns. Even if Apple adds the throttling feature via a software update in the future, it would not be as noticeable as on the older iPhones.
Responding to a query about whether it would roll out a “similar software update” for newer iPhones, Apple said the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and 8 Plus include “hardware updates” for an advanced power management system that allows iOS to anticipate and avoid unexpected shutdowns more precisely. The tech giant did not specifically answer whether or not it would release a software update to throttle the performance of 2017 iPhones.
Apple says every iPhone has basic performance management systems that enhance the safety and protect the phone’s components. Apple seems to be taking a middle ground here to address users’ concerns. The company’s response to Senator John Thune suggests that the company would avoid any significant performance throttling on newer iPhones. It could be made possible by “hardware updates” in the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and 8 Plus.
Battery Health feature to let you see if your iPhone is affected by throttling
You have to keep in mind that rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in all iPhones will degrade over time and need to be replaced if you want to keep enjoying the peak performance. Apple has also updated the support documents with the Battery Health feature added in iOS 11.3 beta. The support document says the “impacts of performance management may be less noticeable” on the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and 8 Plus. The Battery Health feature will allow users to see if their iPhone is impacted by performance throttling.
A few weeks ago, Apple officially confirmed what iPhone users had suspected for a long time. The company admitted that it was deliberately slowing down older iPhones as their batteries degraded. Apple claims its motive was to boost the battery life and prevent unexpected shutdowns. The iPhone owners had accused the tech giant of slowing down older iPhones to force them to upgrade to the latest models. Apple CEO Tim Cook says that was never the motive, though the move may have forced users to buy new iPhones.
To pacify millions of angry customers, Apple reduced the cost of battery replacement from $79 to $29 for older iPhones including the iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, iPhone 7, and 7 Plus. Battery replacement will bring the phone’s performance to normal levels. Apple will continue to offer battery replacements at $29 through the end of 2018. Apple’s devices are difficult to open and repair.
Apple, Goldman in talks to make it easier for you to buy iPhone X
Apple sold 77.3 million iPhones in the December quarter, down from 78.2 million units shipped in the same quarter a year ago. Despite lower iPhone shipments, Apple was able to post record revenues of $88.2 billion with $20 billion in profits. The revenue growth was driven by the iPhone X’s higher price tag. However, supply chain reports claim that Apple has reduced the iPhone X production from 40 million to 20 million units in the current quarter due to poor demand.
One of the biggest reasons consumers are reluctant to buy the iPhone X is its price. Apple is trying to make it easier to buy the anniversary iPhone for consumers. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is in talks with Goldman Sachs to offer easy loans to people buying Apple products. Customers interested in iPhone X could take out a loan from Goldman Sachs instead of paying via credit cards that carry higher interest rates.
Goldman Sachs is exploring the financing deal with Apple to grow its consuming banking arm. The talks are still in early stage and could fall apart, said the Wall Street Journal.
