China Adds To Apple iPhone Slowdown Woes, Wants Answers

Yet another consumer group from a major smartphone market is looking for answers from Apple with regards to the issue of slowing down older iPhones. The Shanghai Consumer Council sent the Cupertino firm a letter, asking for details on the devices slowing down after users upgraded to iOS 10.2.1. More specifically, the group is asking Apple about what it plans to do to rectify the situation.

The issue of Apple slowing down older iPhones came about in December when researchers started publishing data that seem to reflect this fact. Shortly afterward, the company issued a statement confirming that it was indeed restricting older devices. This admission resulted in widespread backlash, which continued even when Apple had already apologized for its actions.

Apple tried to diffuse the situation by offering a steep discount for battery replacements to affected customers. The company also promised that it would take extra steps to provide customers with more information with regards to their battery in the future.

This didn’t stop consumer groups from piling on and grilling the tech giant, with both French and American authorities pressuring Apple for answers. In the case of the Chinese consumer group, it claimed that 2,615 complaints have already been filed with regards to older Apple products last year, Reuters reports.

Clearly, the steps that Apple has already taken in an effort to calm the ire of consumers have not worked. A lot of customers seem to be taking the discount for battery replacement in droves, but many believe that this is simply not enough.

If more consumer groups from other countries start jumping in on the action, along with more class-action lawsuits being filed against the company, Apple could be looking at a major tipping point regarding its position in the industry. The company has always been secretive when it came to its products, but issuing a notification to customers about the update could have saved it a lot of trouble.