Apple has received quite a bit of backlash regarding the intentional slowdown of iPhones. In a letter this week to Apple US Sen. John Thune (R-SD), is asking the company more questions about its controversial decision to slow down performance on older iPhones.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD), is the chairman of Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. He sent a letter to Apple saying that the company has failed to act with enough transparency regarding the topic. Among other questions, the letter asked whether Apple will issue updates in the future that slow device performance intentionally, and whether it tracked consumer complaints regarding performance problems.
After public outcry regarding slowdown of iPhones, Apple said that the slowdowns were down to problems with degrading battery performance. The company then offered a discount on battery replacements to $29 from $79 original price point. The letter, addressed to CEO Tim Cook, also asks the company as to how they came to that number for charging customers, and whether it considered providing free battery replacements, or offering rebates to customers who have paid full price already.
It’s not just the US government looking into this performance slowdown controversy. France has also started to looking into the matter as a criminal probe.
Sen. Thune has requested a response from Apple by January 23rd. We’ll see how Apple responds and keep you updated.
