Apple to Pay Fine for Update that Slowed Down iPhones

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Category: Business

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. deliberately / dɪˈlɪb ər ɪt li / (adv) – on purpose
    Example:

    She was trying to fail the test by deliberately choosing the wrong answers.


  2. in hot water / ɪn hɒt ˈwɒt ər / (idiom) – in a difficult situation, especially where one can be criticized or punished
    Example:

    Henry is in hot water with his parents because he failed math.


  3. ploy / plɔɪ / (n) – a clever strategy to trick someone
    Example:

    The little girl’s crying is a ploy for her mother to buy her candy.


  4. forthcoming / ˈfɔrθˈkʌm ɪŋ / (adj) – very willing to share information
    Example:

    The woman was very forthcoming in her testimony.


  5. accountable / əˈkaʊn tə bəl / (adj) – expected to be responsible for someone or something
    Example:

    My supervisor will be held accountable for my actions, so I try to do my best at work.


Article

Read the text below.

Apple will pay $113 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that it deliberately slowed down old iPhone models.


More than 30 US states, including California and Arizona, launched an investigation about a past iPhone update that caused older devices to slow down. The lawsuit claims that the tech company had not been fully honest about the effects of the update and that millions of iPhone users were affected.


The fine will be distributed among the states, and some plan to use it to fund consumer protection investigations.


Apple first landed in hot water back in 2017 when iPhone users reported that their devices started slowing down after installing an update. The tech company initially denied it but later admitted that the update purposely slowed down the devices to preserve battery life. This was to address an issue that the aging batteries of some phones were causing them to randomly shut down.


Apple’s denial upset many customers, with some believing that it was a ploy to make users buy newer iPhone models. Later on, the tech giant issued an apology for the update. In addition to this, the company temporarily reduced the price of replacement batteries and added an iPhone feature to track battery health.


Apart from paying the fine, Apple also promised to give accurate information about iPhone settings, battery health, and software updates on its website.


Arizona’s attorney general, who led the investigation, urged giant tech companies to stop deceiving customers and be more forthcoming about their practices and products. He promised to hold these companies accountable if they hide information from their customers.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think Apple should have informed its customers that the update slowed down devices to preserve battery life? Why or why not?
• Do you think apologizing and reducing the price of batteries in 2017 were enough to make up for Apple’s denial about the update’s effects? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• Do you think big tech companies should be punished for keeping information about their products from customers? Why or why not?
• Should big tech companies be more strictly controlled by the government? Discuss.