Apple’s Old iPhone Slowdown Scandal Still Sparks Upgrade Suspicions
Have you ever noticed that a couple of years after buying a new iPhone—often right around the time Apple is about to release the next model—your current phone no longer feels as fast or responsive as it once did?
There may be some truth to the idea that software updates play a role in pushing customers toward the latest version.
That long-standing suspicion among iPhone owners received a major boost in late 2017, when Apple was forced to publicly confirm what many users had been complaining about for months.
The company admitted it had been deliberately slowing the performance of certain older iPhones through software updates.
The practice, later dubbed “Batterygate,” began with iOS 10.2.1 and affected models including the iPhone 6, 6s, SE, and later the iPhone 7 series.
Apple said the throttling activated when a phone’s lithium-ion battery had degraded enough that it could no longer reliably deliver peak power.
By reducing maximum CPU performance, the software prevented the devices from shutting down unexpectedly under heavy load.
Apple insisted the feature was designed to keep aging phones usable longer rather than to push people into buying new ones.
But the company had never clearly told customers it was happening.
The lack of transparency fueled accusations of planned obsolescence and triggered a wave of class-action lawsuits and regulatory investigations.
The fallout proved costly. Apple settled a major U.S. class-action case for up to $500 million and later paid $113 million to resolve claims brought by dozens of state attorneys general.
France also fined the company. In response, Apple apologized for its poor communication, offered discounted battery replacements, and added a Battery Health screen in Settings so users could see their battery’s maximum capacity and whether performance management was active.
On many models, the feature can now be turned off—though doing so risks the random shutdowns the software was meant to prevent.
Nearly a decade later, the core mechanism still exists on older devices when battery health declines.
New major iOS releases continue to bring added features, background processes, and higher system demands that can make aging hardware feel slower.
Independent testing has never produced clear evidence of a secret program that deliberately degrades every older iPhone specifically to coincide with new model launches.
Still, the combination of battery-related throttling, heavier software, and Apple’s strong financial incentive to sell new devices keeps the suspicion alive every time a fresh iPhone is announced.
For owners whose phones suddenly feel sluggish, the practical first step remains the same: check Battery Health.
A worn-out battery is still one of the most common reasons an older iPhone loses its pep—and replacing it often restores the performance the software had been holding back.
