January 2, 2018:
There’s been quite a furore over Apple’s ‘Batterygate’ or the reveal that the company deliberately slows down older iPhones because the ageing battery can’t handle it and even ends up auto shutting down. Apple has since been accused of planned obsolescence so that customers are forced to upgrade to the next phone, putting more money in the pocket of the richest company in America.
Apple has said it would never do anything to deliberately shorten the life of any of their products, and has put out a message to users explaining how batteries age and the measures the company has been taking. “About a year ago in iOS 10.2.1, we delivered a software update that improves power management during peak workloads to avoid unexpected shutdowns on iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone SE. With the update, iOS dynamically manages the maximum performance of some system components when needed to prevent a shutdown. While these changes may go unnoticed, in some cases users may experience longer launch times for apps and other reductions in performance,” reads the message. Apple’s lack of communication all this time over what they were doing to tackle ageing battery syndrome definitely needed to be corrected.
And so, in what is in essence an apology and quick appeasement of its customers, Apple is offering a replacement for batteries a whole month earlier than expected and at a reduced price of Rs. 2,000 (plus taxes), dropped from an earlier charge of around Rs. 6,000.
IPhone users should be happy with devices which will get a new lease of life. But one can’t help wondering why the same should not happen with Android phones. Samsung, LG and others quickly moved in to say they never slow down phones when their batteries age, but their software definitely does. Battery life also goes down to a level where recharging becomes a constant preoccupation. The devices become lag-filled and frustratingly slow to use.
Until a few years ago, removable back panels on phones allowed a user to get a new battery and replace it, refreshing the device. But with ‘unibody’ phone design and curved glass both on the back and front, replaceable batteries are a thing of the past. You can try taking your phone to the service centre and asking them to change the battery but inevitably, there won’t be one available.
Phone makers that put in heavy amounts of customisation on top of Android, add their own layer of lag with batteries that are nearing their natural life cycle. At no point have Android vendors communicated to users on what to do about devices that can get so ‘stuck’ it’s a job just swiping to answer a call.