Apple recently admitted to slowing down older iPhones and that caused a major stir in the media. The media blew this issue way out of proportion just like it always does. It caused such chaos that Apple responded by dropping the cost of its replacement batteries to $29, $50 off the normal price of $79. If you’re wondering why Apple slows down old phones, it’s not necessarily as evil-intentioned as you might think.
Apple admitted it slows down older phones, even as recent as last year’s iPhone 7. To quickly summarize Apple’s response, it slowed down iPhones with heavy wear on their internal batteries. It didn’t intentionally slow down all older iPhones – if you have an iPhone that you don’t use much, it should be performing just fine. It explains why older phones are benchmarked at different speeds. Apple’s iOS software is smart enough to determine the performance of the battery, which is a feature that is built into the software Apple uses on its MacBook laptops.
The facts support Apple’s statement regarding iPhone slowdown. All batteries have a limited life cycle. Car batteries need to be replaced every 3-4 years since they can’t hold charges beyond a certain number of cycles. You see laptops lose battery life as they age. Apple even has guidelines for how to use your battery on Macbooks. Phones aren’t impervious to the fact that their batteries will lose performance over time. Batteries that sit on shelves will even degrade. If you treat your iPhone perfectly and use it in normal temperature conditions and don’t push on the processor too hard with video games, you should expect to get 500 full recharge cycles. If you used your iPhone from 100 to zero percent battery every day, you would probably need a replacement at one and a half years. Most people don’t use their phones that way, and maybe only use a partial charge each day which is why only some users are seeing a slowdown. The reason why Apple slows down batteries is for performance reasons only. Old batteries die faster. If your iPhone is slowed, know that if Apple didn’t slow your phone down and let it run at full speed, there are chances of the phone randomly shutting off. This issue actually exposed itself in some iPhones this year. It was only until iOS 10.2.1 when Apple addressed random shutdowns by throttling iPhones with degraded batteries.
Facts are facts. Lithium batteries hold a vast amount of energy and they aren’t designed to last for more than three years.
Now that you understand the problem, you have a choice to make. Do you stick with Apple or do you go with Android?
I don’t have any real data that I can base my analysis on how long phones last since there’s almost no real scientific way to track this information. Based on my years as a tech writer, I’ve learned that Apple products last the longest by a wide margin. Apple MacBooks last longer than any other laptop and iPhones last much longer than any Android smartphone.
Androids have battery problems too. And, I’m not referring to Samsung’s Note 7 battery debacle which was an industry fluke. Android batteries are the same batteries in iPhones. They’re made of lithium and have the same 500 charge cycle lifespan. While Samsung, Google, and LG may not intentionally slow their phones, their phones still suffer from shortened battery life too.
On top of that, Android phones also suffer from software fragmentation. What is software fragmentation? If you’re an iPhone user you won’t know what fragmentation is because you get the same updates to your phone that every other iPhone user gets as long as it’s not more than four years old. When Google released the latest version of Android, Android 8 to be specific, only Google made devices like the Pixel and Pixel 2 got the latest software. Google’s own data released this month supports what I’m talking about as only .5% of all Android devices are running the latest version of the software.
Why does software fragmentation matter?
Software fragmentation matters because older versions of software get fewer updates and eventually will slow the devices. Fragmentation is also an issue when it comes to security and that only becomes more important as cybercriminals get smarter.
I’ve seen it for myself. I was an Editor for an Android website and used only Android for several years. I’ve owned and used dozens of Android smartphones and they all develop issues faster than iPhones and that’s a fact. Android O has been out for several months and my Samsung Galaxy Note 8, S8 and S8+ still don’t have the update and don’t even have an estimated date of when they will get them. If you own a Galaxy S7, Samsung has committed to updating that phone to Android 8.0, but good luck getting that update in the next six months. The issues with Android fragmentation run deep and are only getting worse. Instead of explaining all of that mumbo-jumbo, just know that fragmentation will happen to your Android within one year unless you’re running a Google smartphone.
Fragmentation adds to the slowdown of Androids where iPhones don’t have fragmentation issues.
What should you do?
First, calm down. Now that you understand the issue you just need to get your iPhone’s battery replaced. You should be happy that Apple even dropped the price to $29 making it extremely affordable. Also be happy that you can get it replaced quickly simply by taking it to an Apple retail store. Just be sure to make an appointment before you go so you’re not upset when they turn you down. If you’re running an iPhone 6 or later, you’re proof that Apple products last a long time. If you don’t believe me, go ask around and find Android users who are using phones that are three years or older. I bet you find one if you’re lucky. And if they are using an old Android, ask them how their phone is performing and I wouldn’t be surprised if they said crappy.
I know it sounds like I’m an Apple fanboy, but despite what I’m writing here, I’m still an Android fan at heart. I’m using an iPhone X now because I will be reviewing it in the coming weeks. However, my favorite phones are the Galaxy devices from Samsung, most notably the Note 8 which I reviewed last month. Keep in mind, Android and iOS will still get you to the same result at the end of the day: you’ll be able to make calls, send texts, write emails, check Instagram and Facebook, play games, and use GPS. Both do the basics very well.
However, if you’ve been in the Apple ecosystem, an Android won’t work with your iPad and MacBook like your iPhone does. No Android has in-store customer support like Apple retail stores offer. I just had a battery go bad on a Galaxy S8 last month and had to send it to Samsung to get replaced. I didn’t get a loaner to hold me over, but luckily I had the Pixel 2 XL to fall back on. You won’t have iMessage or Facetime, and those two apps matter way more than you realize. Lastly, iPhone battery management is ridiculously better than any Android smartphone.
In summary, I recommend just sticking with Apple. iPhones are great at what they do and if you need a battery, just get one. Or if your phone is three years old, consider upgrading to the iPhone X. I know it’s pricey, but it will last you three years too and you can even sell your iPhone 6 for a couple hundred dollars on the secondary market if you’ve taken care of it. Android phones aren’t much cheaper either; the Note 8 has a retail price of $949, just $50 less than the iPhone X.
Or maybe make the switch to Android. I guarantee you’ll like the Galaxy S8, S8+ or Note 8 for awhile, but just know that you’ve been warned that those devices will slow down too. We live in a world of disposable gadgets. Until that fact changes, just know you have 2-3 years of lifespan out of your smartphone.
Apple handled this issue correctly and I applaud them for it.