Tennessee teen discovered iPhone slow-down issue

JULIET, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Tennessee teen took on a tech titan, pinpointing a problem with Apple’s iPhones.

Reddit’s “Teck Fire” figured out that a recent iOS update, intended to keep iPhones from shutting themselves off, came at a cost.

“Teck Fire” is 17-year-old Tyler Barney. He said he taught himself how to take apart his iPhone after noticing his 6S was slower than his brother’s iPhone. He tried replacing the battery and said it worked.

Barney said–and Apple confirms–battery technology just can’t keep up, so Apple must slow the phones down.

“Just to make sure it wasn’t placebo I ran some tests with the old battery and the new battery and the old battery was about half as fast as the new battery,” Barney said.

The discovery fueled lawsuits claiming Apple deliberately slows down older phones to force consumers to buy newer ones.

Apple executives deny that but do apologize for not disclosing the practice, saying it was necessary to block unexpected shutdowns tied to battery fatigue.

Apple will cut the cost of a battery replacement to $29 through next year.

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