22:02, 18-Jan-2018
'Slowdown Gate': Chinese commission looking at iPhone batteries
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China's consumer market authority has officially started an investigation into Apple's so-called slowdown gate. The move is just one of series of legal and regulatory actions taken by Asian countries against the American tech giant. Xia Cheng has the details.
A Consumer Rights Protection Commission in China is now looking into the aftermath of Apple's slowdown gate in the Chinese market.
TAO AILIAN, DEP. DIRECTOR SHANGHAI CONSUMER COUNCIL "From the perspective of a consumer, it is difficult for one to protect his or her own rights in this matter. So, as a consumer rights organization and based on our statutory authorization, we represent the consumers bringing these questions to Apple, and hopefully, Apple will give its consumers a positive response."
The council has sent an official inquiry to Apple for the answer to what makes older versions of iPhones slower and how will Apple fix the problem to avoid violating consumer rights. That's just the beginning of the investigation as the council reserves the option to further probe into Apple.
Apple has acknowledged that slowdowns resulting from battery degradation can affect iPhones, but not other devices such as iPads or MacBooks. In fact, the smartphone manufacturer said it has been reducing the performance of older iPhones with lower-capacity batteries to prevent accidental shut-downs since 2016.
Apple's admission has drawn mixed responses in China, one of Apple's biggest markets, with many customers demanding the company address the battery issue more effectively. XC, CGTN.