This week, Apple Inc finally admitted that it is intentionally slowing down older models, but it does so for a noble purpose: to prevent the high demands on the battery and processor to damage the phones’ electronics.

According to multiple reports the models most likely to be affected are the iPhone 6, iPhone SE, and iPhone 7 models. It is unclear whether older models have the same problem.

Apple did the changes through a software update, but it has failed to announce users in advance. The practice surfaced after an app developer tested the performance of older processors and found several anomalies in older models.

If you suspect that your iPhone has been tampered with here are some methods to find out for sure:

The models that were affected are the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 S, iPhone SE, and the iPhone 7 models. If you have older models than that make sure that there isn’t something else that causes the problems.

The iOS Could Provide a Hint

Apple rolled out the controversial update with iOS 10.2.1 for the iPhone 6 and SE models and iOS 11.2 for the iPhone 7 models. To see what your current operating system is go to Settings>General>About.

One more hint to see if the phone was slowed down is to check battery life. The company said only handsets with lithium-ion batteries that have lost capacity were slowed down.

Experts know warn that lithium-ion batteries lose capacity after 1,000 charges. This means that they only charge at a 50%-60% capacity. If you are a heavy user, you should see battery performance plunge within a year since the purchase.

There are at least two apps that measure battery status: Battery HD+ and Battery Life. You can download both from the App Store. If your score is “Poor” or lower, it is clear that Apple’s fix has slowed down your phone.

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After Apple Inc. admitted to purportedly slowing down older iPhone models’ performance to offset battery wear, a California man sued the tech giant on behalf of all users with outdated handsets.

Stefan Bogdanovich from Los Angeles sued Apple for slowing down his iPhone 7 Plus. The plaintiff claims that the company’s tactic to throttle the speeds of older handsets including the iPhone 5, 6, and 7 models caused a lot of hassle to iPhone users not fortunate enough to own an iPhone 8 or newer.

Bogdanovich is upset that he was never asked if he wanted his phone to be slowed down for the sake of battery life. Plus, Apple’s actions lowered the values of his mobile phone. Like many other iPhone users, the L.A. man believes that the tactic is meant to silently force iPhone users to upgrade to newer models.

Apple Hit with Batterygate Lawsuits Nationwide

Bogdanovich demands compensation, and apology, and promise that the company will not slow down the handsets in the future. His lawsuit was filed with a Los Angeles court Thursday. He claims that there was a breach of contract when Apple failed to warn customers of the tactic.

However, this is not the only lawsuit tied to Batterygate. Five other iPhone users sued the tech giant in Illinois, North Carolina, and Indiana. According to the lawsuits, the updates were “engineered purposely” by Apple to throttle down the speeds of older models.

Apple’s tactics were slammed as “immoral,” “deceptive,” “unethical” and unlawful since it broke consumer protection laws. Those plaintiffs too argue that the company actively slow down older phone models to convince customers to upgrade to the newest handsets. They claim that a battery replacement would have been cheaper when fixing the problems related to batter wear.
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An app maker that has developed a piece of software that can measure the performance of iPhones’ processors found why the handsets seem to get slow as they age. The developer, Primate Labs, found that Apple Inc. actively slows down older iPhones to reduce battery demands.

Apple replied to the report showing that the performance of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 appeared to dwindle with age. On Wednesday, the iPhone maker admitted that it is tampering with the phones’ speed, but for a noble purpose: to reduce power demands.

The fact that the processor of older iPhones gets slowed down in the process is just a side-effect, the company explained.

Batteries of older models need boosts of power to keep with the processor’s increasing demands. But as lithium-ion batteries age they are less and less able to provide the energy boosts and complete the charging cycles. This problem can also occur when the handset is exposed to low temperatures or low on charge.

Apple Admits to Slowing Down Older Phones

Apple told Reuters that it had to find a workaround to address the issues. In 2016, the tech giant rolled out a feature that enabled the iPhone 6 and iPhone SE models to cope with the big boosts of energy which upped the risk of an abrupt shut-down.

We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future,

Apple said in a written statement.

When a processor needs extra power when doing complex processes, it draws the power from the battery. However, if the battery is getting old, it tends to deliver the extra power in spikes which can hurt the processor. This is why the iPhone is programmed to shut down to prevent further damage.

Many users have reported problems like the abrupt shutdown of their older iPhones last year. In response, Apple issued an update that slowed the phones down when the battery is old, low-charged, or exposed to low temperatures.
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Many iPhone users refuse to transition to an Android phone because they lack some core apps like iMessage. But a new app called weMessage is about to fix that problem.

The app, which is expected no to last very long, pairs iPhone’s messaging system to nearly any Android phone. Android users who have tested the piece of software said it works surprisingly well.

weMessage is the creation of a 16-year-old student, Roman Scott, who first unveiled the app on Reddit last weekend. In a written statement, he presented himself and let Redditors know that his first app for the Play Store is weMessage, which is compatible with Android phones and tablets.

Scott explained that he created the app because Android users cannot access the iMessage “ecosystem”. However, weMessage is not completely independent of Apple since it needs an Apple device to run.

The iMessage Fix Is Likely Short-lived

The developer noted that his app needs a messaging server to work but the “weServer” can only run on a Mac. In other words, the server is a “bridge” between the two types of operating system. The server’s business is to process texts and convert them into iMessages to and from an Android operating system.

The Mac computer comes into play because any iMessage sent needs to be processed by an Apple server or an Apple device. If Scott would have paired weMessages with Linux or Windows, he would have created an illegal software that would have likely got banned in the future.

It is worth noting that Scott’s app is not the first of its kind. Several developers have tried to pair iPhone apps with the Android system via an Apple device, but Apple has consistently fixed the issues by updates. Scott is aware of the problem and promised to find a workaround for Apple’s updates. Meanwhile, you can download his app here.
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On Monday, Apple rolled out Apple Pay Cash, a mobile payment service that enables iPhone users to send money via the phone’s messaging app, iMessages. The feature is available only in the United States.

The new service, which was first unveiled in June, is designed to rival other similar apps like Square Cash and Venmo. Apple had hoped to include it into the latest version of the operating system iOS 11 which was launched in September. However, Apple Pay Cash’s launch was delayed until December when iOS 11.2 was released.

The major drawback of the new app is that it is not compatible with Android systems. You can only access the money-transfer service via an up-to-date iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad.

The service was available Monday, but not all iPhone users had access to it.

Transfer Cash via Apple Pay Cash

The new feature can be accessed from the iMessages app. After you launch the app, look for the App Store icon next to the message box. There you can access the Apple Pay icon.

However, you might need to set the feature up first from the Settings app > Wallet & Apple Pay. The system will verify your identity too and ask you to confirm your real name and address. Ensure you agree to the terms and conditions.

After the setup process, you can transfer money for free. But you will need a debit card for that. If you use a credit card, the iPhone maker will charge 3% on each transaction.

If you don’t want the app to access your credit or debit card whenever you need to transfer money, you can fuel your Apple Pay account via a bank account. The app will automatically draw the money directly from the bank account during each transaction.

Each payment, though, will prompt you to confirm it with a passcode, your face, or fingerprint.
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Apple has been using the tech behind iPhone X’s Face ID to build “animoji” that mimic your face. But as of recently, the tech giant has been secretly sharing customers’ FaceID data with the creators of many apps.

iPhone X’s latest screen unlocking feature, Face ID, uses a 3D model of users’ faces that includes more than 30,000 points. The face-mapping tech’s primary goal is to ensure the device is unlocked only by the phone’s owner. Apple used the face map to create animojis that mimic the phone owner’s facial expressions and now wants app developers to have full access to the data.

However, by sharing the data with app makers, many privacy issues arise. Apps could tell by just looking at your face if you’re in good mood or depressed. They can also identify your race, age, and even sexual orientation. Apps could track you on the street and in stores.

Even though these technologies are not here yet, Apple is doing very little to prevent the scenario. The apps that the iPhone maker has been covertly sharing user data with don’t even have a privacy policy.

Apple Taking Face ID -linked Privacy Concerns ‘Very Seriously’

When contacted by The Washington Post, Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr assured the news outlet that the company takes privacy “very seriously”. Neumayr underlined that FaceID data is protected by the Secure Enclave technology and other safeguards included in the phone’s operating system.

Apple has repeatedly assured users that it doesn’t plan to make a profit from selling their data. The company’s primary source of revenue is hardware. However, app developers that get the data from Apple may not share this core value and the user’s info could fall into the wrong hands.

Security experts warn that sharing freely facial data with third-parties could pave the way to a lot of mischief. Fortunately, iPhone X’s facial data is stored on the handset, rather than on Apple’s servers for now, but that could soon change as other mobile phone makers may not want to follow suit.
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Last week a Financial Times story detailed the life of six interns who were forced to work 11 hours per day at an iPhone X assembly plant in Henan Province, China. On Wednesday, Apple’s largest supplier for the iPhone, Foxconn Technology Group, announced that the practice was brought to a halt.

Apple initially said that the six secondary school students volunteered to help at the factory, but agreed that the management should not have allowed them to work such long hours. The Chinese plant has been using labor from 3,000 students. In China, the work week for children should not exceed 40 hours.

Apple assured reporters that the students were given compensation and benefits for their work.

Apple is dedicated to ensuring everyone in our supply chain is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,

a statement from Apple reads.

iPhone X Demand Has Been ‘Off the Charts’

The tech giant also promised to protect employees from its supply chain. Foxconn which runs the internship program that involved the six Chinese interns told BBC News that immediate action had been taken to ensure that the students no longer work overtime.

The company underlined that students are just a fraction of its Chinese workforce, and the violation of labor laws reported by the Financial Times does not reflect the firm’s policies. The Taiwan-based supplier reportedly hired the students two months ago because the demand for iPhone X was higher than the expectations. Apple reported the demand for the new handset as being “off the charts”.

The iPhone accounts for more than half of the Cupertino, Calif-based company’s revenue. From July through September, more than 46 million iPhones were sold worldwide. iPhone X (with X being the Latin number for ‘ten’) marks the iPhone’s 10^th anniversary. With a full price of $999, the iPhone X is the most expensive iPhone to date.
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A 10-year-old boy tricked iPhone X’s Face ID into believing that it is his mother’s face that is staring at the phone. Ironically, when Sana Sherwani received her iPhone X earlier this month, she warned her son Ammar that “there was no way” he was going to get access to the new handset.

But Ammar, who resembles his mother, unlocked it after analyzing the phone without knowing that it was his mother’s. The device unlocked the second time the boy stared at it. Ammar thinks the hack is funny, but his parents are not convinced.

For its newest iPhone, Apple ditched the Touch ID technology which required the owner’s fingerprint to unlock and replaced with Face ID which maps the user’s face before unlocking.

Apple, however, has acknowledged that the technology can be bypassed by identical twins and some family members that strikingly look-a-like.

Mr. Malik, who is India born but now lives with his family in New York City, told reporters that he and his wife text a lot and there may be things they don’t want Ammar to see.

Now my wife has to delete her texts when there’s something she doesn’t want Ammar to look at,

the concerned father told reporters.

iPhone X Not So Secure

It is not the first time the iPhone X is hacked into but it is the first time it was done this easily. Earlier this month, a group of cybersecurity experts in Taiwan unlocked the phone with help from a 3-D printed mask. The total cost of the prop was just $150.

Mr. Malik also voiced his concerns over his son accessing his wife’s phone. The kid could use an app to order ice-cream whenever he sees it fit. The man also told the Wired that Ammar is a “good kid”.

In a YouTube video, the boy’s mother registers her face for her son to unlock the phone moments later. Surprisingly, Ammar was able to unlock his father’s phone just one time. The man was confused because the boy’s head is smaller than his or his wife’s. What’s more, most people say the kid resembles his father more than his mother.
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Hackers worldwide have been racing to break into the newest iPhone’s facial recognition system aka Face ID, which Apple engineers have praised as a safer security measure than the previous models’ Touch ID.

A team of Vietnamese hackers claim that they were able to unlock the phone with a technique that involves relatively cheap materials: a $150 3-D printed mask. Cybersecurity experts at Bkav, a Vietnam-based online security firm, published Friday a video showing how they were able to bypass an iPhone X‘s security system:

They used a 3-D printed mask made of silicone, plastic, and makeup. The eyes, mouth and nose consisted of 2-D paper cutouts applied to the mask. Other experts haven’t confirmed the technique, but if it does work, Apple’s expensive handset’s security could be seriously compromised.

However, other tech experts assure us that the average iPhone user is not at risk, at least for the time being.

Bkav, on the other hand, blasted Apple for creating a facial recognition tech that can be “fooled by a mask” and is less secure than Touch ID.

Average Users Not at Risk… For Now

The firm’s proof-of-concept video shows an iPhone X instantly unlocking at the sight of the 3-D printed mask impersonating the real owner. The relatively cheap mask apparently can bypass the handset’s infrared sensors and mapping technology which needs to connect 30,000 dots on the user’s face to confirm his identity.

Hackers, however, admitted that, in the real world, the technique is not readily available. They needed a detailed map of the user’s face which required five minutes of scanning the victim’s face. This means that only spy agencies have the exact know-how and technology to create the mask.

Still, the research team promised to come with a less time-consuming technique that could re-create the victim’s face from photographs or a brief smartphone scan.
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Dozens of iPhone X owners have reported that the screens of their favorite handset went unresponsive after going outdoors in cold weather. While the reports have been confirmed time and time again, no one knows exactly how cold is cold for the latest version of the iPhone.

Fortunately, Apple Inc came up with some sort of guidance on the problem.

Various users reported that their screens are unresponsive in very cold weather. For instance, the devices of some users literally froze in about 2 seconds after going into the cold outdoors.

Apple’s Response

However, not everybody had this problem when exposing their handsets to cold weather. So, Apple tried to clarify how cold is cold. In a recent blog post, the company’s technicians advised users to use their iPhones only if the temperatures are between 32 and 95 degrees F (or 0-35 degrees C).

The iPhone maker warns that temperatures that go beyond this range can cause the devices to suddenly shut down or shorten battery life. The latter issue can be easily solved if users get their handset back to normal ambient temperatures.

In a recent e-mail to The Loop, Apple confirmed that the devices’ screens might temporarily ignore user input if there is a “rapid change to a cold environment”. The tech giant pledged to address the issue in a future iOS update.

As a side note, a CNET test recently revealed that there is an issue with the iPhone 8 that contradicts the manufacturer’s claim that the handset was built with a water resistance. After submerging a model in a bucket with water, the iPhone 8’s camera displayed signs of ugly condensation.

Apple’s response was that the devices should not be submerged on purpose and that the water resistance decreases with wear. There were no condensation issues with the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, though.

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