Apple revealed iPhones slow down as they age, and customers’ believe it’s so they upgrade to the newest model.

Technology website Geekbench studied several iPhones running versions of the iOS operating system and found some of them have been deliberately slowed down.

Apple said to the BBC: “Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, when they have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.

‘Unexpectedly shutting down’

“Last year, we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions.

“We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.

“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers.”

Chris Green, tech consultancy at Bright Bee, added: “They should be more transparent about it.

‘Taking away performance’

“You’re taking away performance that somebody has paid for. If you’re going to slow down the phone over time, you should explain why it is happening, so people understand it is ultimately for their benefit.

“But I do see where they’re coming from. By slowing the phone, it does help mitigate the problem of the diminishing battery.”

Apple has made changes to iOS to make its phones last longer, because of battery issues.

Written by Leah Alger