Skip to main content

Two countries are now investigating Apple over iPhone planned obsolescence

planned obsolescence
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Planned obsolescence is a touchy subject for any tech lover. No one likes the idea that their time with their new tech toy is somehow limited — and the concern that a corporation may be pulling strings to make your tech slower and force you to upgrade sooner is one that appeals to conspiracy nuts and normal folks alike. And when it comes to this issue, Apple has usually gotten the worst of it over the years. The Cupertino, California giant was recently forced to admit that yes, tech does exist that slows down older iPhones, but Apple claims it’s for the overall good of the consumer.

It appears that Apple’s explanation isn’t good enough to fly in France, which has begun an investigation of Apple. France has some tough laws against planned obsolescence, with a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and up to 5 percent of a company’s annual turnover. With a company the size of Apple, that’s likely to be in the billions.

Recommended Videos

The news comes from French news agency AFP, while the actual investigation stems from a complaint made by the consumer rights group HOP (Halte à l’Obsolescence Programmée). The complaint (the essence of which can be read on HOP’s site, via Google Translate) is clearly not convinced by Apple’s report on the matter, claiming that the timing of the slowdown is too close to the release of the latest iPhone range, and suggesting that there is another issue at play here.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

This isn’t the first time that HOP has moved against a company. It previously filed a complaint against the printer manufacturers Epson, HP, Brother, and Canon, accusing them of underhanded tactics that forced consumers to purchase more ink. An investigation has since opened on that matter, as well.

And Apple’s bad news doesn’t stop there — it turns out that the United States Senate is also asking questions of Apple following its confession. Senator John Thune, R-S.D., chair of the Senate commerce committee, seems unsatisfied by Apple’s chosen method of making amends to customers with cut price batteries. According to the Wall Street Journal, a letter from Thune to Apple CEO Tim Cook questioned Apple’s refusal to replace batteries for free, pointing out that “Apple’s proposed solutions have prompted additional criticism from some customers.” Thune has requested a reply from Cook by January 23.

Following the results of the original Geekbench tests that proved that iPhones were being slowed down over time, Apple has extended an olive branch to consumers to attempt to make the situation right. Since the culprit of the slowdown is often reduced battery effectiveness, Apple is offering cut-price battery replacements for older iPhone models, while iPhone 6s owners could receive a replacement battery for free.

Update: Added news that the U.S. is also now investigating Apple.

Mark Jansen
Mobile Evergreen Editor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
Nothing’s next phone may borrow this top iPhone features
The Nothing Phone 2a Plus's camera and Glyph Interface lights.

In its normal fashion, Nothing has been everything except clear with its teasers about the upcoming Nothing Phone 3a, and now a new rumor suggests it might borrow one of the iPhone's best features. So far, Nothing has confirmed only that the Phone 3a is on the way and that more will be revealed at its March 4 conference, and the latest teaser post only adds to the mystery.

The shared image depicts a button on the side of the phone beneath the power button. For reference, Nothing has always kept its power button and volume rockers on opposite sides of the handset. Unless the Nothing Phone 3a is undergoing a massive design change, the picture indicates a new button is coming with this latest release, and many fans suspect it is a dedicated camera shutter button.

Read more
There’s a clear winner in our Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max camera test
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max's cameras.

Would it be right if we didn't put the latest Samsung Galaxy S series against the latest iPhone in a camera test? We don’t think so, which is why we’ve been out taking photos with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max to see which one has the best camera.
Camera specification
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (left) and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s camera has the same 200-megapixel main camera, 50MP telephoto for 5x optical zoom, and 10MP telephoto for 3x optical zoom as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. What’s new, outside of the processor and software driving it, is a new 50MP wide-angle camera. Samsung has collaborated with Qualcomm on a special Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor and uses plenty of AI in the camera for improved results.

Read more
Apple closes in on crucial foldable iPhone decision
A mockup with a foldable clamshell iPhone.

We’re a short time away from when Apple is expected to reveal the iPhone SE 4. Later in the year the iPhone 17 will debut, which should include an “iPhone Air” for the first time. News about perhaps a more significant new iPhone has now been leaked.

The company is close to selecting a key supplier for its next-generation foldable display technology, according to a source tied to Apple’s supply chain. This new display technology is expected to be incorporated into the company’s first foldable iPhone, which will be released in the coming years. This information comes from the Naver blog account “yeux1122” (via MacRumors).

Read more