US government asks Apple questions about slowing down iPhones

US government agencies have questioned Apple about the information it has provided to investors about slowing down iPhones with outdated batteries. The authorities probably want to know whether the company has been punished in doing so.

Apple confirms in a statement to Bloomberg and many other US media that it is answering questions from government agencies. The company does not say anything about which bodies these are or what the exact content of the questions is.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that the Securities and Exchanges Commission, the US stock exchange regulators and the Department of Justice are looking into whether Apple has failed to provide information to shareholders and has therefore been punished. If a company is listed, that company must inform its shareholders correctly and in a timely manner about important matters. The French government has already announced that it is investigating the case.

Apple has built in a function from iOS 10.2.1 that the processor slowed down the software if the battery decreased in capacity. That function is included in the iPhone 6 and 6s and since iOS 11.2 also in the iPhone 7. The decline in performance should counteract the problem of suddenly failing iPhones.

This spring, iPhones with iOS 11.3 will have an option to speed up the processor again, despite the battery being outdated. Apple does not recommend making the iPhone faster. It is still unknown what exactly is causing the problem. It seems that if the battery drops in capacity, it can’t supply enough power to supply the processor with the power it requires.