“Italy’s antitrust organization has launched two separate investigations against Apple and Samsung over accusations of planned obsolescence,” Chaim Gartenberg reports for The Verge.
“The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, or AGCM, is trying to determine whether the two popular smartphone manufacturers are using software updates to slow down devices in order to influence customers to upgrade their phones,” Gartenberg reports. “According to the group, Apple and Samsung may not offer enough information to customers as to the effects of software updates, and don’t offer details as to how installing them may slow down devices, which it says could violate several articles of Italy’s consumer protection code.”
Gartenberg reports, “Apple is already facing a criminal probe over the battery slowdown issue in France, where planned obsolescence is illegal.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple really screwed the pooch on this one.
SEE ALSO:
China consumer group seeks answers from Apple over batterygate – January 16, 2018
South Korean consumer group considering criminal case against Apple over iPhone batterygate – January 11, 2018
French prosecutor launches probe into Apple planned obsolescence – January 8, 2018
Apple’s design decisions and iPhone batteries – January 8, 2018
Apple now faces over two dozen lawsuits for ‘purposefully’ or ‘secretly’ slowing down older iPhones – January 5, 2018
Why aging batteries don’t slow down Android phones like Apple iPhones – January 5, 2018
Apple’s $29 replacement batteries expected to hurt new iPhone sales – January 4, 2018
How to see if Apple’s throttling your iPhone – January 4, 2018
Brazilian agency requires Apple to inform consumers on batteries – January 3, 2018
Analyst: Apple’s ‘batterygate’ solution may mean 16 million fewer iPhones sold this year – January 3, 2018
An Apple conspiracy theory blooms – January 2, 2018
Apple clarifies policy on $29 battery replacements: All iPhone 6 and later devices are eligible – January 2, 2018
Why Apple’s response to iPhone ‘batterygate’ is brilliant – December 30, 2017
Australian lawyers to launch largest-ever class action against Apple over iPhone ‘batterygate’ – December 29, 2017
The most annoying things about Apple’s iPhone ‘batterygate’ apology – December 29, 2017
iFixit discounts iPhone battery replacement kits as Apple cuts prices, apologizes for the confusion – December 29, 2017
15 class action lawsuits filed against Apple for throttling iPhones with aging batteries – December 29, 2017
Apple apologizes for poor communication about iPhone batteries and performance; slashes battery replacement cost from $79 to $29 – December 28, 2017
No, Apple’s throttling of iPhones with aging batteries is not planned obsolescence – December 28, 2017
Apple execs face jail in France after lawsuit over slowing down iPhones – December 28, 2017
Korea seeks explanation from Apple for slowing down devices without warning – December 28, 2017
Apple now facing 8 lawsuits over throttling processors in iPhones with aging batteries – December 27, 2017
Apple tarnished their brand with clandestine iPhone battery management and processor throttling – December 27, 2017
Should Apple replace aging iPhone batteries for free instead of throttling processor speed? – December 21, 2017
Apple confirms iPhones with older batteries will take hits in performance – December 20, 2017
iPhone performance and battery age – December 18, 2017
Apple met with Chinese regulators to discuss iPhone 6s unexpected shutdowns – February 10, 2017
Rumor: Apple may extend iPhone 6s battery replacement program to iPhone 6 – January 17, 2017
A message from Apple about iPhone and unexpected shutdowns – December 2, 2016
Apple offers free battery replacement for ‘very small number’ of iPhone 6s units with unexpected shutdown issue – November 21, 2016
Never underestimate the Italian politician.
This is an illustration of why we should not let technical illiterates make decisions about technology. It is reminiscent of the feds who assure us that Apple and its competitors could easily design encrypted devices that are readily accessible with a warrant and absolutely secure otherwise.
New devices have new features, otherwise nobody would buy them. Those features require support in the operating system, or they would not work.
Owners of existing devices expect some approximation of the new features, so the enhanced operating systems are designed to be backward compatible with recent devices. If the OS did not run on older devices and provide new features, nobody could ever upgrade. They would just complain to the government about planned obsolescence.
However, the older devices do not have hardware support for those features, so they have to be emulated in software. That takes processor cycles (from an older, slower CPU and weaker battery) that will then not be available for other purposes. The user interface will perceptibly slow. The owners do not understand how reality works. They just complain to the government about planned obsolescence.
The government, which makes decisions that are not science-based or evidence-based, then goes after Apple et al. for failing to bend the laws of the universe to satisfy the unreasonable demands of its customers. The only way to avoid having your older device slow down is to never expect it to do anything it could not do on Day 1.
Unfortunately, we live in an age when technical expertise of any sort is dismissed as elitism. That’s why we have a guy with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry running our nuclear weapons program, instead of a Ph.D. in physics like most of his predecessors.
Maybe we should have computer use be a licensed activity then… /s
“This is an illustration of why we should not let technical illiterates make decisions about technology”
I don’t think it’s possible that I could disagree more. These companies must inform, transparently, as to what they are doing to people’s property. From that you can learn and understand why your iPhone 3GS is running like crap.
It also will show that “fragmentation” exists, always existed, and the honest term is hardware/software requirements.
This way, they, or their informed sister-in-law could make informed decisions. IT departments aren’t inherently good or bad. They’re good when they are under the owner’s control.
which is nine years old is still running at all that’s amazing and you should thank Apple for making hardware that lasts so long.
So off the point….
Upgrades have consequences, what are the consequences? That’s the point.
is the consequence and your nine year old iphone 3GS still working. Hmmmm. Nah, let’s go with your idea. Let’s all stop the progress of technology so the all-knowing applecynic can be happy.
You are clueless and off-topic. This is about informing, try again.
You mean there is talk from Italian politicians disregarding the sovereignty of Apple’s home nation and invading based on reports of a WPO (Weapons of Planned Obsolescence) program that will result in hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians from Apple’s home nation while the Italian army massacres the population looking for WPO?
Naw, not even the Italians are that stupid.
Amanda Knox can attest to the fairness of the Italian judicial system.
If Amanda Knox was innocent then everyone else is, too, huh?
Fred…
Were you in that courtroom? You seem so informed.
I guess I’m just a one dimensional cynic, you however, wow!
Don’t get too teary eyed by her sob story. Self admitted party girl associated herself with drug dealers. Amercans forget that as a foreigner, she was not entitled to all the rights that the US Constitution guarantees. (Just listen to the armchair experts here on this site, foreigners are aliens who *must* be treated harshly. Then we act surprised if any other nation does the same.) We’ll never know the full story but bottom line, Ms.Knox is free because justice did prevail in the end. Are you insinuating that the US justice system more efficient in any way?
What’s more, Guantanamo is a shining example of hypocrisy: US officials refuse to give foreigners accused of crimes a trial. Guilty or not, we will never know. The American taxpayers keep funding the prison while the alleged combatants within have no ability to defend oneself against his accusers. Not being on US soil, these detention facilities like Guantanamo around the world dole out inhuman practices that do not follow constitutional law nor the Geneva Convention. America insists that it can declare war on a tactic, but “enemy combatants” without uniforms are not soldiers and therefore America chooses to take the low road and avoid international war convention.
But you knew all that.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again….. Apple (and just about any Tom, Dick or Samsung) is damned if they do/damned if they don’t. If Apple had not done anything to try to preserve battery life, people would have complained about battery life. They did try to do something and people bitch. IF the people behind lawsuits like this really looked around they’d have to sue every single car company, home electronics company …. and ANY company that works to further their ‘craft’ by producing newer and better products. I used to do sales in a camera store. Customers would come in wanting to know about a product. In the conversation inevitably I’d hear, “Maybe I should wait for the next/newer model to come out.” IF that kind logic were followed, some people would NEVER end up making a purchase because there is ALWAYS that NEXT/NEWER (better, faster, cheaper, smaller, cuter, sexier, whatever) coming down the pipeline! My original camera (a Pentax MX) from the late 70’s/early80’s still can produce photgraphs. The newer better cameras to followed DID NOT render that Pentax obsolete. I realize that a smartphone is not a camera, but my point is people need to be more aware of the environment of the ‘stadium’ they are playing in!
Microsoft owns Italian politicians all the way to the top.