Apple Land is in turmoil. Apple admitted that its recent software updates deliberately slowed down the performance of old iPhones. The reason, Apple says, was to prevent “unexpected shutdowns” that old phones with weaker batteries might otherwise occasionally suffer. When the news broke, Apple quickly apologized for the slowdown and offered its customers discounted replacement batteries. But consumers are not appeased, and within hours class actions have been filed against Apple.

It appears that this slowdown practice might not be a one-time glitch, but a longstanding “planned obsolescence” tactic allegedly employed by Apple to prompt consumers to replace their devices earlier than otherwise necessary, to coincide with the launch of (and increase the demand for) new iPhone models. People rush to replace the slowed-down phones, not realizing that they only need to replace the battery, or, better yet, choose not to install the software update. These options were obscured (until now), resulting in surges of unnecessary purchases.

There are many problematic angles with this tactic, and in posting an apology Apple recognizes that its customers rightly feel duped. But is it illegal to accelerate the obsolescence of the phones? Has Apple violated any law, or breached its contract with consumers?

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