Apple removes customer reviews from its online store

Normally when buying a product on the Apple Store, you'll have the option of reading through reviews that were written by people that have already purchased and used the product that you're considering. As it would seem, that option is going away.

According to a tip sent into AppleInsider, the Ratings & Reviews section on Apple Store listings has been removed in at least the U.S., UK, and Australian regions. The change happened over the weekend, and no one is really sure why.

One possibility would be that Apple decided that not enough people are reading through customer reviews, or that it just doesn't hold enough value for the cost of maintaining it. Surely, the Cupertino firm has data on how often these reviews are being read. Something like the Lighting to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter had 735 one-star reviews, with many simply complaining about the removal of the headphone jack from iPhones.

Another possibility is that this is only a temporary change. Apple could be revamping how it handles customer reviews, and it will be back after a certain period of time. For now, there's no way to be sure.