Apple learned it the hard way to be more transparent about rolling out new features to its iPhones, especially when those features have a negative impact on everyday usage. In 2017, Apple was on the receiving end of heavy criticism for slowing down some iPhones' performance to prevent random shutdowns due to ageing batteries. The move didn't sit well with its users, who revolted and forced Apple's hand to do damage control.
Apple had to issue discount on out-of-warrant battery replacements for affected users and later even introduce a toggle so users could turn off the feature anytime they want. The CPU throttling would only get activated when a weak battery was detected, but by allowing users to turn off the feature Apple chose to give the power to its customers.
Apple simply wanted to prevent random shutdowns in iPhones with weak batteries with the CPU throttling feature. But it has been able to control the issue with effective measures and Apple continues to offer the feature in newer iPhones with each passing year.
Last year, Apple rolled out the processor throttling feature to iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Now, the Cupertino-based tech titan is rolling out the feature to iPhone XR and iPhone XS in the upcoming iOS 13.1 update starting next week.
In addition to the option to turn off the performance throttling anytime a user chooses to, Apple says the newer iPhone models have more advanced power-monitoring hardware. It means the impact of throttling will be reduced in iPhone XR and iPhone XS, The Verge reported.
It's worth noting that Apple is the only brand that has such a feature in place. All electronics powered by the battery will eventually run into issues and Apple proactively offers a solution to those who do not wish to replace the battery. Since Apple wasn't transparent about such a feature, it was embroiled in a controversy over an otherwise thoughtful feature, but some allegations had suggested that Apple throttled older iPhones to persuade users to upgrade to the latest iPhones.
Apple is rolling out iOS 13.1 on September 24, fixing all the bugs in the iOS 13. It was even reported that iOS 13 had a major security flaw, which could allow anyone with access to a locked iPhone to bypass the lock screen security and go through the contacts. Apple appears to have fixed it in the new update, which is one more reason to upgrade to iOS 13.1 as soon as it is available.
