Back in 2017, Apple admitted that it had been slowing down older iPhone models through software updates. The goal, according to the company, was actually to protect the devices, because degraded batteries not only have problems holding a charge, they may have trouble responding to higher voltage quests from the chipset. By slowing down the chipset, Apple hoped to keep the devices stable.
While Apple"s statements alleviated some concern that the company was trying to force consumers to upgrade, there was still significant backlash from the community, resulting in a number of lawsuits and government investigations. Those seeking compensation claimed that Apple hadn"t informed customers of this strategy before they were purchased.
Now, one investigation in particular, carried out by France"s Direction Generale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Repression des Fraudes (DGCCRF), has reached a conclusion (via MacRumors). The DGCCRF announced today that it has fined the Cupertino company €25 million, which Apple has agreed to pay, for slowing down iPhone models including the iPhone 6, SE, and 7. According to the regulator, the investigation concluded that Apple"s strategy constitutes a misleading consumer practice because the company didn"t inform customers about the potential throttling.
The document also states that Apple has agreed to publish a press release on its website informing customers of the outcome of the investigation. The message can be seen at the very top of Apple"s French website in the iPhone category.