Apple responds to US probe of iPhone battery slowdown – CNET


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Apple responds to US probe of iPhone slowdown

The company acknowledges that government agencies are looking into the matter and says it’s responding to their questions.

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Apple is under scrutiny over iPhone slowdowns it said prevented unexpected shutdowns. 

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Apple is playing ball with US agencies looking into its controversial decision to slow down older iPhones to account for aging batteries. 

“We have received questions from some government agencies and we are responding to them,” the company said in an emailed statement. 

The response comes after Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating Apple for how it disclosed its information in the software updates that slowed down older iPhones. The company has faced a wave of backlash after word spread in December about the slowdowns. 

Apple has since tried to quell the outrage, including in its new statement. 

“As we told our customers in December, 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,” Apple said in the statement.

Apple said the update was intended to help prevent iPhones with older batteries from shutting down unexpectedly.

The DOJ didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The SEC declined to comment.

In response to the controversy, Apple is offering a deep discount on replacement batteries. The company is also working on an iOS feature that would show iPhone owners information on battery health. They’ll be able to see if a power management feature, which can be turned off, is being used to stave off shutdowns.

“Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love. Making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that,” Apple said. 

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