Apple Offers Discounts On Replacement Batteries For Older iPhones After Facing Lawsuits
It faced a barrage of criticism after admitting to intentionally slowing down older iPhones.
By Sadho Ram — 29 Dec 2017, 03:13 PM
On Thursday, 28 December, Apple issued an apology to its customers and addressed the issue of older iPhones being slowed down intentionally
In a letter, titled "A Message to Our Customers about iPhone Batteries and Performance" published on its website, Apple says:
"We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making."
While being apologetic about the feature, Apple still rejected allegations that it slowed down iPhones with older batteries as a way to push people into buying new phones.
"First and foremost, 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. This feature's only intent is to prevent unexpected shutdowns so that the iPhone can still be used," Apple said in its letter.
Apple is also offering anyone with an iPhone 6 or later "whose battery needs to be replaced" a discount of USD50 for a battery replacement starting in late January through December 2018
The replacement battery will now cost only USD29, which was originally priced at USD79. The cheaper price is more in line with third-party repair shops.
Apple said that they have "always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible. We're proud that Apple products are known for their durability, and for holding their value longer than our competitors' devices."
The USD50 discount for battery replacement along with the promise to give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone's battery is the company's way to "address our customers' concerns, to recognise their loyalty and to regain the trust of anyone who may have doubted Apple's intentions."
"Our customers' trust means everything to us," Apple added.
The apology and discount comes after massive criticism and multiple lawsuits faced by the company
In France, where it's illegal to degrade old products to promote the sale of new ones, Apple is being sued by a French consumer rights group which have accused the company of degrading its old iPhones to sell new ones.
Apart from that, Apple is also facing at least eight lawsuits from iPhone owners in the United State and Israel that claim Apple owes its customers money for not previously disclosing the slowdowns.
Apple, which is among the most valuable brands in the world, now has a long way to go rebuilding trust with its customers
While Apple has tried to clarify things about the iPhone slowdown drama, it will take time for iPhones users to once again put their faith in the company.
For now, they are upset after finding out that Apple did not tell them about the feature that slows down their iPhones or that they were not given the option to simply replace the battery, a much cheaper option than buy a new, faster iPhone.
