Apple apologizes for slowed-down iPhones


Amid outcry after its acknowledgment earlier this month that it slowed down older-model iPhones, Apple on Thursday apologized and announced that in January, the company will temporarily slash the price of a battery replacement from $79 to $29.
The discount will be available for customers with an iPhone 6 or later that is out of warranty. Apple also said it will release a software update that will let users see if their battery is affecting the performance of their phone. Two weeks ago, Apple revealed that it had issued a software update that prevented iPhones with aging lithium batteries from shutting down without warning, an update that can make apps open much slower. Apple on Thursday denied ever doing anything to purposely shorten the life of their products.
The company is facing at least eight lawsuits in the U.S., with customers alleging Apple defrauded consumers by slowing their iPhones down without warning, Reuters reports.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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