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Apple admits it slows down older iPhones to prevent battery issues

Posted at 9:07 AM, Dec 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-21 09:07:59-05

For years, there have been claims – some say conspiracy theories – from iPhone users that older models slow down when new versions come out.

Now Apple is confirming that it purposely does just that – for specific reasons in some cases.

Apple said in a statement to TechCrunch that it will “smooth out” power demands on iPhones when batteries are old, in cold conditions, or when they’re low on power.

The company said it added the fix last year to prevent shutdowns on iPhone 6, 6s and SE models, then added it to the iPhone 7 with plans for more devices in the future.

In other words, on iPhones that are as little as a year old, you may notice your phone slow down in some situations.

Apple says that if it didn’t add this feature, those phones could shut down more often.