Apple competitors say they don’t slow down Android devices. The list of companies that have issued comments on the matter includes HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung, or some of the most important Android makers out there.
Apple created this scandal all on its own, by slowing down aging iPhones without informing users of what can happen. Apple’s intention to stop iPhones from shutting down unexpectedly is great. But the fact that users were kept in the dark about it is what’s causing all this commotion.
Of all these Android device makers, Samsung would be the most likely company to mock slow iPhones in ads that would probably go viral on YouTube, but the company totally shouldn’t.
HTC and Motorola were first to tell The Verge that they don’t slow down their devices. “We do not throttle CPU performance based on older batteries,” Motorola said, while an HTC spokesperson said that designing phones that slow down the processor as the battery ages is “not something we do.” HTC did the opposite a few years ago. The company would artificially increase the performance of its phones so they’d score better in benchmark tests.
In emails to Phone Arena, LG and Samsung made similar comments.
“Never have, never will! We care what our customers think,” LG said.
Samsung gave a more ample explanation:
Product quality has been and will always be Samsung Mobile’s top priority. We ensure extended battery life of Samsung mobile devices through multi-layer safety measures, which include software algorithms that govern the battery charging current and charging duration. We do not reduce CPU performance through software updates over the lifecycles of the phone.
A simple no would have sufficed, Samsung. Because, unfortunately, you’re not the authority on batteries, just remember the Notes. Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 after numerous batteries exploded. The company fixed the problem. But this year’s Note 8 also has an unexpected battery problem. Some units won’t turn on once the battery is completely depleted.
But it’s the Note 7’s fate that’s probably keeping Samsung from taking serious hits at slow iPhones. In case you were wondering, Apple never took advantage of the Note 7 disaster in iPhone commercials.
