Apple and Samsung phones: – Apple and Samsung are fined for slowing mobile phones

This decision is probably the first against mobile phone manufacturers, after prosecutors around the world, to encourage companies to update the operating systems of older phones, slowing them down.

Thus, the authorities are invited to scrape old and buy new phones, said the competition authority.

"Apple and Samsung have implemented dishonest practices in the market," said a statement.

– Upgrading resulted in reduced performance

It was determined that the upgrade of the operating system "caused serious malfunctions and significantly reduced performance, resulting in faster switching of phones".

It is reported, among other things, that Samsung has asked the owners of the older phone Note 4 to install a new version of the Android system for the latest Note 7 model, which has slowed down the old one.

Similarly, Apple asked owners of iPhone 6 to install the operating system for 7 years, which created problems for users.

Therefore, the fine of Apple is higher

Apple is accused of resorting to a much more serious crash for not informing its customers of the essential characteristics of lithium batteries in their mobile phone models. This is the average life of a battery and what can be done to extend its life.

The Italian competition authorities opened an investigation in January after several consumer complaints.

Apple has already regretted

Dinside has already talked about rumors that updates would slow iPhones. Apple has denied that this would happen because they would make you buy a new mobile. The reason is that the battery has lost so much capacity that it is no longer able to provide the processor with sufficient and stable power. demanding situations.

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Apple is also late and complained to all disappointed customers, saying that they would never have done anything to shorten the life of an Apple product or to make it worse. ######################################################################################## 39, user experience of these products to encourage users to buy new ones.

The solution proposed by Apple was then to lower the price of replacing the battery.

Samsung does not agree with the decision

In a comment to phonearena.com in December 2017, Samsung denies ever causing a deliberate reduction in the performance of its phones through updates.

Dinside has contacted both mobile phone manufacturers to get a comment on the case and has so far received responses from Samsung:

"Samsung is always striving to provide its customers with the best possible customer experience and Samsung has always released software updates to improve the performance of our products, not to reduce them. We therefore do not agree with the decision of the Italian competition authorities (ICA) and will appeal their decision, "writes Samsung in an email to Dinside.

That said the Consumer Council

"It's annoying to buy an expensive cell phone and find it worse than it should. In addition, it is bad for the environment that products have less durability.

Thomas Iversen, Acting Director Consumer Dialogue Consumer Council, Dinside. He adds that one should expect that the products will deteriorate over time because the usual use corrects the components, but this becomes problematic when the manufacturer is actively engaged in reduce performance.

– When the manufacturer actively enters the operating system and makes performance changes, we believe that the consumer should obtain information before that happens. The consumer should also be able to opt out of the update, which would result in a lower battery. If the charge on the battery is high, some consumers may also be eligible for a new battery to ensure that the performance is the one you paid for.

Iversen also fears that this will lead to unnecessarily high use of mobile phones.

– From the point of view of the environment, it's a big problem that mobiles stop working – or get poorer after a while. Electronics manufacturers need to make more sustainable products we hear. That's having consequences for Apple and Samsung through fines can help, he concludes.