New lawsuit claims Apple slows down older iPhones on iOS 9

30 December, 2015
A new lawsuit is demanding $5M in damages from Apple for intentionally slowing down performance of legacy iPhones. The plaintiff claims that Apple has been engaging in deceptive business practices of purposely slowing down 100 members’ iPhone 4S’s.

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  • c***
  • YiL
  • 21 Apr 2017

aff, 15 Dec 2016You sounds you like updates slowing you down. Brain problems?what?

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    • dankmemesxd
    • I7X
    • 20 Apr 2017

    ron, 23 Sep 2016Apple may be slowing down devices but android doesn't provi... morecustom roms

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      • AnonD-626488
      • nj}
      • 30 Dec 2016

      ron, 23 Sep 2016Apple may be slowing down devices but android doesn't provi... moreOK two things:
      1. For Android Google Play installs apps on old OS versions too.
      2. Better older Android version which works well and fast, than new IOS version which makes the device useless.

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        • aff
        • g0y
        • 15 Dec 2016

        ron, 23 Sep 2016Apple may be slowing down devices but android doesn't provi... moreYou sounds you like updates slowing you down. Brain problems?

          • r
          • ron
          • Rn$
          • 23 Sep 2016

          Apple may be slowing down devices but android doesn't provide updates for anywhere near as long as apple. Second between the android os, the phone manufacturer and the service provider it takes forever to get any updates you might be lucky to get 2 updates.

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            • smart Appleholic
            • SeW
            • 14 Sep 2016

            It's been like that since the first iPhone - funny it came up only now :)

            I noticed it then, so I turned off autoupdates 6 months after the release (and purchase) of my next iPhone - 3S. And it still works as a swiss clock. But it became incompatible with some software (another leverage), so I had to buy 5S. Which I also was updating only during first 6 months after the release (suppose, during this period updates really might remove some overlooked major bugs). And it's also still works like it should.

            In Germany they say: "There is only one car better than new Mercedes - it's old Mercedes". If car makers realised, that market might be overfilled with product some day, so they should reduce the product's lifespan, why mobile phone makers shouldn't?

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              • EBG
              • PQJ
              • 04 Jul 2016

              I will be moving on to Samsung this weekend.. i will not support a company that does that!and i have been with Apple for nearly 10 years.

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                • AnonD-554392
                • Trm
                • 29 Jun 2016

                Apple and other companies always try to slow down our phones by upgrading the firmware thus intentionally forcing us to buy their new models. We should be all aware and react to this theft!

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • 4wD
                  • 06 May 2016

                  Not only do they slow down the I phone 4s, it slows down the 4, and the 5c. Ridiculous , I known have the 6, but this will be the last I phone , I will ever purchase.

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                    • Lex79
                    • B{s
                    • 26 Mar 2016

                    Freeflight, 26 Mar 2016Might as well be a case of "deliberately not optimizing for... moreI wish people would stop taking my comments as a defence of Apple, I'm only stating what I believe are relevant facts.

                    Apple, not offering what you personally consider a viable upgrade option to the 4S is neither here nor there in regards this issue.

                    And also, I mention the 'user input of software' in regard to this situation as I think it will become a factor should this make go all the way, legally speaking. Whether it helps Apple's defence or not is not for me to say for definite, I am only offering my opinion, and I think it will at least come up.

                    I'm not even sure what the latest on this situation is??

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                      • Freeflight
                      • neF
                      • 26 Mar 2016

                      Lex79, 19 Mar 2016And if you are reading any defence of Apple in my posts in ... moreMight as well be a case of "deliberately not optimizing for older hardware", that'd still be crappy enough. I also don't see how "The update asks you about being installed" changes anything about the situation.

                      Without the newer iOS firmware a large part of popular apps simply stop working, as they can't be updated anymore.
                      For the very same reason the Iphone 3, and earlier, are now considered "useless garbage", because they can't even run popular IMS like Whatsapp anymore.

                      That's pretty much the only reason I upgraded to iOS 9 (from iOS 7!) and since then my Iphone 4S has turned into a bloated, slow and very annoying mess. It's pretty clear the 4S hardware can't handle all that new fancy "interface", that's what keeps on bogging everything down, that's why apps now keep on crashing while they load in.

                      And I really wonder: Why? I'm not playing games on my phone, so I couldn't care less about it's performance not being "up to date". What I do care about is that suddenly things that used to work just fine (IMS, surfing the web, listening to music) are now slow as hell, with the additional chance of an app crash. When I got for a jog I don't want to wait 1 minute for the music app to start up, just to crash on me, so I gotta start it up again and hope this time it doesn't crash on me. Mind you: We are talking about the Apple Music app, with a couple of hundred songs in it, here!

                      The worst about this situation being that even for people willing to "upgrade" Apple does not offer an alternative for the 4S. There's a reason I've stuck with my 4S until now, because I like it's size. Starting with the Iphone 5 these things have gotten way too big, same with the majority of decent android phones, way too big.

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                        • Lex79
                        • B{s
                        • 19 Mar 2016

                        Txtraveler, 19 Mar 2016Lex79, in this article referencing the possibility that App... moreAnd if you are reading any defence of Apple in my posts in this thread, then your are missing my point.

                        I have stated repeatedly that if it turns out to be the case that Apple are deliberately hampering the performance of legacy devices through firmware updates, then they deserve what ever they may get.

                        However this has not as yet been proven to be the case, and also it may likely be taken in account that these firmware updates are ultimately optional.

                        My point regarding the methodology of how Smartphone vendors attempt to prompt consumers into upgrading their hardware, was mearly to add perspective, but was not intended as a defence of Apple or an attack on 'everyone else'.

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                          • Txtraveler
                          • uiq
                          • 19 Mar 2016

                          Lex79, 30 Jan 2016True enough, but that doesn't change the initial optional n... moreLex79, in this article referencing the possibility that Apple may be deliberately writing software upgrades to handicap older devices, why is it that your replies almost invariably talk about Android devices? Whether or not Android devices have similar issues isn't really the point here. If Android is being written to interfere with older devices, their turn in the spotlight is coming, but that's not the issue today.

                          Besides, "everyone else is just as bad" is hardly a good defense of Apple's business practices....

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                            • Lex79
                            • LhT
                            • 30 Jan 2016

                            AnonD-495160, 30 Jan 2016If users had the ability to rollback an update, this lawsui... moreIt's funny how every single person I have a conversation with on this site ends up being someone who works on software development, be hey ho.

                            Anyway, like I said I don't discount the possibility that Apple are capable of doing something underhanded like this, I certainly don't hold them up as some kind of moral saints or anything.

                            However as I have said repeatedly now, the updates do not force their way onto your device, you actually have to agree to the install process, that alone is going to put a rather large hex on this lawsuit.

                            Were these updates simply installing themselves, then maybe there could be something to this, but that is not the case.
                            And again, like I said, I have used a 4S running iOS 9.1, and have seen and iPad 2 that belongs to a friend running 9.2.1. Whilst the performance is nothing to write home about, I certainly have not seen the kind of issues the instigators of this lawsuit have claimed to suffer from.

                            Personally, I have seen worse general performance from a Galaxy S4 running lollipop than a 4S running iOS 9, bu that may just be my own perception.

                            I don't mean to discount what you are saying, being a software developer, you'd have the edge in knowledge over me in such things.
                            However, I really don't think this lawsuit has a leg to stand on, and apple providing less than acceptable (but still optional) updates to 5 year old devices in order to encourage a purchase of new hardware, is in my opinion no different from the likes of Samsung or HTC etc. discontinuing software support of a device prematurely to prompt the same behaviour.

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                              • AnonD-495160
                              • xE1
                              • 30 Jan 2016

                              Lex79, 30 Jan 2016True enough, but that doesn't change the initial optional n... moreIf users had the ability to rollback an update, this lawsuit would not be necessary. My son updated his iPad 2 and now it's basically unusable. Just tapping an app icon takes about 15 seconds to respond and the whole system is hitched during that time. Then when you are in any app that used to work just fine, performance and stability has gone in the toilet.

                              I have no problem buying new hardware, but when my older hardware has been sabotaged by the manufactures software update and becomes unusable, I feel they should be held accountable. I work in software development and I'm well aware that if Apple wants to, they could actually optimize performance rather than degrade it for legacy devices.

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                                • Lex79
                                • LhT
                                • 30 Jan 2016

                                Admiral Joshua, 30 Jan 2016For the most part I'd say your right, except. Most people w... moreTrue enough, but that doesn't change the initial optional nature of the update itself, and if this lawsuit ever somehow actually makes into a courtroom, after I am done shaking my head with bewilderment, I would not be surprised to see this become an important factor in Apples defence.

                                For flexibility in moving between versions of the OS (especially in terms of downgrading) Android offers far more options, but only to those of a certain technical knowledge. There are however very real drawbacks to reverting to earlier versions of android, security vulnerability being an obvious one.

                                I have personally seen and experienced iOS 9.1 running on a 4S, and whilst the performance is no where near modern standards, such as those offered by the 6S say, neither is it what I (and those bringing about this lawsuit) would call crippled.

                                A certain lack of optimisation in iOS regarding legacy devices....sure, I may agree with that, but I hardly think that is grounds for legal action, especially considering my original point in that any update is initially optional.

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                                  • Admiral Joshua
                                  • nE6
                                  • 30 Jan 2016

                                  Lex79, 06 Jan 2016How many times, the update is optional!!! Were it force... moreFor the most part I'd say your right, except. Most people will update their iOS then realize why they shouldn't have done so... But by then it's TOO late!! Apple don't allow for you to downgrade your iOS once you've updated which is STUPID! I upgraded to iOS 9.2 recently on my iPad 2. Yes it's old, yes I'm not expecting it to run it like the iPad pro or something but jeez it's slow and there's no going back cause apple don't sign their flipping packages on older version anymore!

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                                    • Anonymous
                                    • uS$
                                    • 08 Jan 2016

                                    It just means their updates are optimized for their latest or newer devices but not necessarily for older ones

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                                      • Lex79
                                      • gL@
                                      • 06 Jan 2016

                                      AnonD-442781, 06 Jan 2016People with older devices are more interested in having a f... moreHow many times, the update is optional!!!

                                      Were it forced on to the device without any user input then maybe there would be some semblance of a point to this trumped up story.

                                      5 year old devices are never going to run the latest software at speeds we associate with modern devices, but of the many iPhone 4s users I see about on a daily bases, none seem to be troubled in how they are using that device. The conclusion is either they are not updating their firmware (that user input I mentioned earlier coming into it's own eh) or this story and lawsuit is BS.

                                      But unlike you Grey I am not a deranged fanboy, so I can accept at least the possibility of some aspects of this story.

                                      Apple of course want you to upgrade your 5 year old phone, they are a business, if it turns out they are not optimising their latest firmware for legacy devices in order to prompt that upgrade, how is it any different from Samsung simply abandoning their older devices (and doing so far earlier than 5 years as well) in order to prompt the same from their customers????

                                      But again I realise that I probably am addressing mostly fanboys like yourself, so this will all just go over your head, and all I have done is waste my time.

                                      Par for the course on the GSMArena 'Comments' section it would seem.

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                                        • AnonD-442781
                                        • JiR
                                        • 06 Jan 2016

                                        Lex79, 01 Jan 2016Personally I think this lawsuit is ridiculous, of course, b... morePeople with older devices are more interested in having a functional device than a crippled one. Again, they aren't being sued for giving the update, they are being sued for giving an update which they knew would slow devices down to a crawl, and they are being accused of doing it so people upgrade their phone.