Apple on Thursday tendered an unreserved apology to its customers for slowing down the performance of older iPhone models and said it would cut down the price of replacement batteries for some of its handsets.
The apology came as a result of outcry by iphone users and several lawsuits by some U.S courts following news of poor battery performance which worsened concerns that Apple was unfairly pushing consumers to upgrade.
The controversy erupted last week after Apple acknowledged a feature to "smooth out" spikes in demand for power to prevent iPhone 6 models from shutting down due to the cold or weak batteries.
"We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize," Apple said in a message to customers on its website.
"We've always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible. We're proud that Apple products are known for their durability, and for holding their value longer than our competitors' devices."
The company said it was reducing the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement from $79 to $29 for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, starting in late January through December 2018.
It also said it would issue a software update to make it easier for customers to see if an aging battery is affecting performance.
"As always, our team is tirelessly working on ways to make the user experience even better, including improving how we manage performance and avoid unexpected shutdowns as batteries age," the statement revealed.
Rumors had persisted for years at tech news websites devoted to Apple products and among fans of the company's products that iPhone performance was being deliberately slowed, possibly to nudge users to buy newer models.
The company's latest statement said "we have never and would never do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades."
Though it noted that "batteries are consumable components that become less effective as they chemically age" and that factors such as heat can affect performance.
Apple said a software update last year "manages the maximum performance of some system components when needed to prevent a shutdown" and that "in some cases users may experience longer launch times for apps and other reductions in performance."
