mobile telephone Apple iPhone 7
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

This is One Upgrade I am Glad I Did Not Pursue

Frequent travelers typically enjoy upgrades — whether they entail being moved to a seat in a premium cabin; enjoying a suite instead of the usual hotel room; or being switched to a car which is packed with features which help improve the driving experience. An upgrade implies that you are special as a customer when you are given a better option at little to no extra cost…

This is One Upgrade I am Glad I Did Not Pursue

…but I have read and heard a number of reports from the media which cited a study conducted at Harvard University that proves that Apple purposely slowed down the performance of older iPhones to coincide with device releases and boost sales of newer ones.

Although “some recent iOS upgrades slow down the processing speeds of iPhones with degraded batteries”, the slowdown of the processor is “intended to prevent unexpected power-related shutdowns and other problems in older iPhones that have batteries whose performance has degraded over time, not to boost sales of just-released newer iPhone models”, according to Apple as cited in this article from Snopes, which was first published on Friday, September 22, 2017 but last updated on Thursday, December 21, 2017.

As a result, a class action lawsuit against Apple was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on Thursday, December 21, 2017 against Apple over the slowdown issue, which claims that “On December 20, 2017, Defendant admitted to purposefully slowing down older iPhone models.”

Although one solution to degraded battery power in older models of iPhones is to replace the battery, that replacement typically cannot be performed by the owner of the product. The battery is designed to be replaced by Apple — for a fee, of course.

Summary

In addition to owning hardware and software over the years, I also spent a year working in the technical support department of a software company; a couple of years as a manager of sales support of the same line of software applications; and a year supporting customers at a different company on both its hardware and software products — and one common theme which I learned quickly is that just because an “upgrade” of either hardware or software products is available does not mean that customers must upgrade what they currently own.

Furthermore, I had also learned not to purchase the absolute first release of a generation of software or hardware products — similar to not buying a vehicle of a first model year after an introduction or revision — because there are always some “bugs” and anomalies to be worked out.

Translation: let the customers be our ßeta testers.

I first purchased my Apple iPhone five years ago due to taking advantage of a great deal which I could not refuse. Although the latest version of the iOS operating system is version 11.2 at the time this article was written, to this day, it operates on iOS 6.1.4 system software. Sure, newer software products and updates will not work on it — but I have not noticed much of a degradation of battery power; and it still serves its main purpose for me…

…get ready for it…

using it as a telephone.

I also own an Apple iPod Touch, which I received at no additional cost when I purchased a Macintosh computer greater than eight years ago. I use it whenever I travel to listen to music — which, as you know, is important to me — and not only does it serve that purpose just fine; but it still works with the entertainment systems of every vehicle I rent. For example, it worked flawlessly in both this Kia Soul and this Kia Soul I rented — and I simply kept the device plugged in for the entire trip.

The battery on that device definitely does not keep a charge as well as it did when I first got it — but it still keeps a charge long enough for me to use it aboard an airplane with no electrical outlet available.

Then again, I do not use either device constantly.

I thought about purchasing a newer mobile telephone — but why? So that I can use “emojis” which emulate the expression of the faces of users? So that I can use newer system software which uses more “cartoony” icons and graphics rather than more realistic ones? I remember when I used to want upgrades because I really could use the new features — not because of what I consider little more than gimmicks…

…and besides, I am still just fine using the older iPhone as it is — as long as it does not became a NoPhone, which I considered to be the next useless fad since the pet rock — and I still have no intention of updating the system software. I prefer these types of upgrades when I need something — not particularly when I want something.

As for upgrades from airlines, lodging companies and rental car companies: well, I will still gladly and wholeheartedly accept them, as I rarely ever turn them down…

Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

  1. There are 85 known security vulnerabilities with the version of iOS you’re using.

    You should stick to posting about travel. Technology is clearly not your area of expertise.

  2. Brian does have a point. What value are emojis? This is playtime for 10 year old’s. I don’t want that garbage (actually clutter) on my Apple products.

    Also, why do other manufacturers allow you to CHANGE YOUR OWN
    BATTERY !! and Apple does not? Everybody knows the reason. Changing the battery in a flashlight or any other useful home product is NOT high tech.
    Keep the masses panting with bated breath for more.

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