Is Your iPhone Slowing Down? Learn The Truth About Apple’s Update
If you have had an iPhone for some time now, you may have noticed your iPhone slowing down over time. It may have crossed your mind that your iPhone running slow after update whenever Apple releases a new iOS.
Well, you are not alone. There is a conspiracy theory going around for quite some time now which states that Apple makes older iPhone models a disappointment to use after new ones are released. Older iPhone's tend to slow down or even shut down.
This lead to frustration among users which ultimately forced them to upgrade even though the older ones are perfectly fine in other aspects. This phenomenon can be seen in iPhone models such as the iPhone 6, 6s, and 6s Plus. Users of these models have reported their iPhone slowing down even when the battery seems to be in good condition.
It Started from a Reddit Post and Led to an Independent Research
The iPhone slowing down phenomenon of older models have been experienced by so many users which led to many to talk about it on sites such as Reddit. Many Reddit users have actually reported that their iPhone's have returned to its normal performance after an iPhone battery replacement.
These posts which suggested that the iPhone battery might be the cause of the iPhone slowing down performance of older iPhone's led to one of the Reddit threads to go viral. The Reddit talks pushed the Primate Labs founder and Geekbench developer, John Poole, to conduct his own study to find out for himself what's really going on.
Poole and his team have compared the performance of nearly 100,000 iPhone 6s and 7 units and analyzed the units’ performance data. Apple has released a fix for the shut down bug between iOS 10.2.0 and iOS 10.2.1.
His study has found out that units performed slower after the release of the fix for the shutdown bug. This iPhone slowing down performance was also noticed on other models as well entailing a rampant problem. In fact, after the iPhone 7 was reported to experience shutdowns, Poole noted that Apple iOS updates have led to the slowing down of that model’s performance as well.
However, unlike the conspiracy theory, Poole thinks that Apple slowed down the system of its older units in order to avoid overloading the batteries, which were considered old or aged at the time of the release of the fix.
From the Horse’s Mouth
After the commotion caused by the Reddit post as well as the somewhat confirmation from Poole’s research, Apple was backed in a corner and was forced to respond.
According to the tech giant:
“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.
Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”
It can be inferred from Apple’s statement that what Poole said was true. Apparently, Apple has been addressing iPhone’s shutdown issues due to old lithium-ion batteries.
With each new iPhone model, Apple has been consistently increasing the power of its processors and its operating system. These improvements puts a strain on old lithium ion batteries leading to shutdowns to avoid internal damage to its components.
Apple’s explanation has merit when one considers that the battery life of a smartphone has an impact on its performance no matter how great the processor or the operating system is. In fact, it is widely accepted that the faster the processor, the more energy it demands from the battery. Does this justify your iPhone slowing down?
Tech giants like Apple and Samsung are still finding the balance between a smooth and fast processor and a reliable battery life. It seems like iPhone users have to bear the burden of having their iPhone slowing down.
After all, a slower iPhone performance is much easier to handle than an iPhone that spontaneously shuts down while in use. Or worse, an iPhone that burst's into flames unexpectedly.
So What Can You Do?
So far, the fix which led to the iPhone slowing down performance has been given to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPhone SE last year, and iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus this year.
Even though the slowed performance only affects certain models according to Apple, it will not hurt to do something to prevent it from happening to your own iPhone.
- Check your iPhone model first. If it is an older one like an iPhone 6, then your phone is probably slow due to the usual wear and tear on your battery. Delete unnecessary data if the storage has been used up. The latest iOS recommends some steps in order to free up your phone’s memory such as deleting old messages and media files with large sizes. If your phone is new like an iPhone 8, visit the Apple Store. It may still be covered by warranty and sometimes the performance can be a factory defect
- If you are planning to change the battery, ensure your phone isn't slow due to other reasons. Sometimes an old version of the iOS or applications might be causing the problem. Another thing you can do to speed up your iPhone’s performance is to turn off background app refresh, location services for individual apps, and motion effects.
- Refrain from exposing your iPhone to extreme temperatures. Avoid charging your device when you are in a heated place. If you can wait till you are in a cooler place, then hold off from charging your device.
If you decide to get the battery replaced in your iPhone you can go to Apple directly or visit your local iPhone repair shop. The Austin Cell Phone has been repairing iPhone's in Austin Texas since 2012 and have repaired hundred's of iPhone's.
For those who do not live in the Austin area you can utilize our mail in iPhone repair service to replace or battery or repair any other part on your iPhone. We have great reviews on our repair services and pride ourselves with our level of service.
Please leave us a comment below the share what you think about the recent news of the iPhone slowing down.
