[po]

> This led to slower device performance without informing users, which is a removal of expected performance functionality.

As opposed to the device unexpectedly shutting down due to a degraded battery not being able to push enough energy to support the CPU? They didn't remove expected performance, they prevented crashes which are by definition 0 performance. All Li-ion batteries degrade over time. That's not removing a feature...

This whole thing was totally overblown.

[askariwa]

Well, they DID remove expected performance by slowing CPU performance, disn't they? People who had bought these iPhones (and not the previous ones) did so also because of the promise of a more powerful CPU, a promise broken by Apple. It is removing a feature (a better CPU) and Apple knew it that's why they did it without informing users.

[esskay]

Just to add, they also got fined by the EU for doing so, so it was ruled to be illegal. Bambu's changes would fall into the same category of altering the product and degrading the experience after its been sold.

[nunobrito]

Just to let you know that InstaCam360 did the same on their cameras with the smartphone app.

Previously you could directly upload the 360 videos do youtube, now you need to download the film locally on the phone, then host a converted version and only after those loops you are permitted to upload.

Or you can now buy a monthly subscription and get back the feature that was already there before. Quite disappointed with this kind of behavior.

[Xelbair]

the problem isn't that they've done it.

the problem is that user got no choice. Some might prefer degraded performance, others might prefer to charge their devices more often.

Also seller should have no business touching anything that they've already sold - they do might offer support, but it should be up to user to accept it or not.

[theshrike79]

It's not a matter of "charging more often". The phone just shut down when the battery was somewhere between 0-40%

Source: had two 6S's in the family. In the cold it could just suddenly shut down mid-call from 60% battery.

[ben_w]

Indeed; while I've not had this specific issue with the phones, I do still have a mid-2013 MacBook Air lying around (it's now too old to realistically sell), and the battery on that was so worn by the time I got an M-something to replace it that would go from "fine" to "emergency shutdown" during boot if I forgot to plug it in. And then report something like 20% if I plugged it in and immediately booted it again.

[immibis]

Then the battery percentage is miscalibrated. The solution to that is to recalibrate the battery level, so that the old 40% is the new 0%.

[Dylan16807]

It's not like the battery is actually empty. The phone is still able to run at 40% if it limits CPU power draw. As long as the throttling curve is accurate to the battery quality, it's all upside. A slow device is better than a turned off device. And if you want to keep your phone above 40% charge so it runs faster, go for it.

The root problem was not the throttling, it was the phone's inability to run at expected speed after a couple years.

[immibis]

The root problem is that Apple won't let you replace your battery.

[mavhc]

However they applied it to all phones of that model, not just ones with degraded batteries

[sehansen]

No, it was dynamic based on voltage. iPhones with worn batteries had higher performance at full battery and swapping the battery with a fresh replacement restored full performance even at low battery percentage. In fact this is how the slowdown was discovered: someone replaced their iPhone battery with a non-genuine replacement and it got noticeably faster.

[Xelbair]

you are still missing the point.

USER should chose that. not apple.

not all of them shut down, someone might get a battery replacement.

What apple should've do is to introduce a toggle, give a warning in notification. and in case of crash, display it again.

[theshrike79]

Apple (IMO rationally) chose that people would prefer a working phone, one they can use to call emergecy services, for example, to a phone that just suddenly dies.

After the massive hissy fit the Internet threw (along with lawsuits), they added a switch. Now you can choose to have your phone suddenly die.

But the legend lives on that "Appple slowed down phones permanently!!" - even though the fix for that is a 40€ battery swap that takes 30 minutes in any mall phone repair shop.

[Xelbair]

Again, let user chose. apple sold a product, it's out of their hands to decide what users do with it.

Maybe i want to use the device in a way that's 100% connected to the charger and repurpose it.

It's not apple's business what I'm doing with it

[K0balt]

If you left It hooked up to a charger, their fix would never have affected you. It only slowed down the cpu when the risk of catastrophic shutdown was imminent.

I like a toggle for features like this, but it was a pretty standard user experience / reliability choice imho.

[K0balt]

Yes this would have been better.

But the way they did it was far from malicious. It only affected users who were actually in danger of an emergency shutdown, during times when the shutdown was imminent. While I don’t want anybody diddling my firmware without giving me a choice, this particular issue was really a nothing burger in the end.

It was discovered when it became apparent that replacing a defective battery made the phone faster. Seems like a standard reliability / user experience fix to me. Not Many people would choose the “don’t adjust system power consumption to prevent unplanned shutdowns when the battery is about to fail” toggle.

[CamperBob2]

It was not overblown. Apple didn't disclose what they were doing or give the user the option to decide what was best for them. When a company chooses to behave that way, it should hurt them, and it did.

Apple's actions in this case were even worse than Bambu's. At least Bambu documented what the update did and offered the option of declining it.

[meragrin_]

> This whole thing was totally overblown.

No, it isn't. If the battery was broken and they knew the battery was broken, they should have informed the user the phone could be fixed with a new battery. They decided to gimp the device and not tell the user so they would be more likely to purchase a new device rather than simply fixing the old one.

[jillyboel]

> All Li-ion batteries degrade over time

So they know this yet they refuse to let users swap the battery?

[theshrike79]

Users can swap the battery?

  1) open phone
  2) remove battery
  3) replace battery
  4) close phone

It just requires more tools than your fingers, like every single mainstream phone.

[jillyboel]

Not sure what kind of users you're dealing with, but your typical iphone user can absolutely not do that

[theshrike79]

A typical car driver can't change the oil in their car, nor can they do a headgasket swap either.

People don't go telling that Ford "refuses users to let their change their oil".

It's all perfectly doable, but you do need the tools and an ability to follow a step by step guide with pictures.

[nunobrito]

Imagine Ford deciding their cars must drive at 50% their speed when the engine oil is older than 2 years and at the same time forbidding users from changing the oil.

Yet there are always people justifying these type of awful practices as better for users. These aren't, the measures are only good for business.

[dghlsakjg]

Ford actually does this. They have something called limp mode for when sensors detect degraded conditions. They won't honor the warranty if you clear the code manually and continue operating the vehicle.

Many cars enter limp mode for when the ECU senses a possibly damaging condition. This limits the performance and capabilities until someone with a diagnostic computer can plug it in. Many times these diagnostic computers are entirely proprietary.

I'm not saying it is justified, but to pretend that other businesses don't do this is silly.

[K0balt]

Forbidding them from changing the oil? I personally changed my battery, I did not feel like it was forbidden.

Not even that hard.

For me, the firmware fix helped me limp through the 2 months before I finally got around to replacing the battery.

It made my phone that was flaky and unreliable below 40percent battery into a phone that worked slightly slower once the battery got low, but didn’t just randomly shut off during calls anymore.

I’d have preferred a toggle, but to be honest I doubt I’d have ever used “reckless disregard for remaining battery capacity” mode.

[theshrike79]

Have you driven a German car ever?

They are SO LOUD if you don't service them at regular intervals. They're even doing fancy tricks to make sure you're not faking the service.