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Members of the Euroconsumers Group have written a letter to Apple urging the company to address allegations of excessive iPhone battery consumption in iOS 14.5 and later software updates.
On July 9, the Spanish organization for consumers and users, together with groups such as Altroconsumo and Deco Proteste, sent a letter to the tech giant from Cupertino written, which deals with alleged “planned obsolescence” affecting the latest iPhone models such as the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11.
iOS 14.5 or higher: Users complain about rapid battery drain
The consumer groups cite reports of battery drain and performance degradation experienced by some users after downloading certain versions of iOS 14. Specifically, iOS 14.5, iOS 14.5.1, and iOS 14.6 are mentioned. A lawsuit was filed against Apple in June, attempting to link the reports of battery drain and performance degradation to allegations of planned "obsolescence." However, the consumer reports only point to issues with battery life draining faster than expected, not performance degradation. Euroconsumer member organizations, however, draw a connection between the battery drain reports and Apple's past performance management systems. Lawsuits have been filed against Apple in several European countries, alleging that the company intentionally slowed down iPhones.
OCU wants to “create a dialogue with Apple”
According to the OCU, the purpose of the letter is to "create a dialogue with Apple to find the best way to compensate consumers." The OCU has threatened to take the matter to court if Apple does not provide "a reasonable response." What a "reasonable response" means in this case remains unclear. There is no clear indication of a generally faster battery drain caused by the operating system updates cited by the organization. For a claim of "planned obsolescence" to hold water or be legally relevant, it would have to involve a large number of consumers—and that doesn't appear to be the case at present. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)
