The iPhone slowdown is Apple’s biggest scandal in years. In spite of acknowledging the issue, apologizing for throttling iPhones with old batteries, and offering cheaper battery replacements, Apple still has to face plenty of backlash from consumers and governments around the world.
A Chinese consumer group is the latest authority to demand answers from Apple on the matter.
Before China’s involvement, US, French, and Brazilian authorities approached Apple, looking for answers about the slowdown. That’s on top of the more than 30 class action suits that were filed against the company.
The Shanghai Consumer Council wants more information from Apple, Reuters reports, giving the iPhone maker time until Friday to reply. The council is a non-government organization that’s approved by Chinese authorities.
The council asked Apple on Monday for an explanation for the slowdown, as well as details on what Apple planned to do to rectify the issue — Apple already answered both these questions in its previous statements on the matter, apology included.
The council’s letter came in response to feedback from local iPhone users. Some 2,615 complaints about Apple products and services were filed last year compared to 964 in 2015, according to the group. It’s unclear how many of them detailed iPhone slowdown instances. Furthermore, the numbers may not be relevant without looking the evolution of Apple sales in China from 2015 to 2017. If Apple had a broader customer base in 2017 than in 2015, then an increase in complaints is also to be expected, iPhone slowdown or not.
That doesn’t mean consumer groups and governments shouldn’t investigate the iPhone slowdown issue. Apple brought it on itself, and now it has to pay the price.
