What Did Apple Actually Say,

It was, for some people, the confirmation of what they'd known all along: iPhones were being secretly slowed down by Apple to make people buy new ones. For others it was a public relations nightmare, ruining all the hard work they'd done to dispel myths about the iPhone by appear to confirm those myths, even if they didn't really. When Apple admitted just before Christmas that it had been quietly slowing down some phones because their batteries were too old, it quickly took over the headlines.

But those headlines didn't always tell the full story, wrapping up genuine news with conspiracy theory and speculation. In short, Apple said that it had been secretly reducing the performance of some older phones whose batteries were depleted, to ensure that the extra performance didn't cause the phones to shut down because the batteries didn't have enough power. Soon after, it said that it would replace affected batteries so that people could fix their phones again. It's now been a few weeks, and the battery replacement offer is in full swing. But there's still a fair bit of confusion.

Here's an attempt to clarify some of those issues, as well as get down the truth on what happened over the Christmas period. Can I get my phone battery repaired, and will that speed my phone back up to its original speed, To get the important stuff out of the way: Apple is offering cheaper upgrades on your battery, and if your phone is currently having its performance restricted, that will help. 29, in part because of the furore about the battery issues.

To be eligible for the upgrade you need to have an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus or SE. If you think it's slowing down or having battery problems, book a genius bar appointment and take it into the store. There are some important caveats to this offer. First, Apple might not change your battery if its tests show that the current one isn't actually degraded.

Second, there are getting to be delays at Apple Stores because of the popularity, so you might have to be prepared to wait a short while. And third, and most important of all, is the fact that Apple is only offering the deal until December 2018 - so if you're concerned, make sure you go before then.