After rumours intensified, and in-depth analysis results all pointed to the answer, on December 28 last year, Apple made an official statement confirming that as their phones age, they intentionally decrease their performance.

The performance decrease, as described by Apple’s statement, is achieved by limiting peak performance when the system is under load, which can be noticed by apps launching slower than usual, and other general slowness when using the device.

The outcry from users resounded, with great frustration that these slow-downs were performed in secret, with users never being alerted their devices were having their performance decreased.

Apple claims this was implemented in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns of systems, as well as generally improve battery life as these devices age. It’s a well-known downside of current lithium-ion batteries that they do degrade over time, and this was Apple’s intended mitigation of that.

Amidst the criticism that these features should never have been implemented in secret, Apple is offering a few further remedies that users should certainly take advantage of if they believe they are being affected by the slow-downs.

Firstly, to owners of an iPhone 6 or newer, Apple has drastically dropped the price for official battery replacements: $40 as opposed to $119. You can check if you’re eligible for this service on Apple’s service page here.

Along with this, new features are being added to iOS on all devices to allow you to check the current health of your device’s battery, and as announced by Apple CEO Tim Cook last week, also disable the performance throttling. These updates are scheduled to be released sometime early this year.

While many feel these offers don’t excuse Apple of their secretive modification of users’ devices, they are simple ways to increase the battery life of your device, especially if you find you’re charging it far more often than when you first bought it.

If you get the impression any of your other office IT equipment is also performing poorly, get in touch with the Innovations Team who can carry out an audit of your environment and provided recommendations to resolve any issues discovered.