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Tim Cook says the next iOS update will allow users to disable intentional battery slowdowns

Tim Cook says the next iOS update will allow users to disable intentional battery slowdowns

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Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Apple CEO Tim Cook today shared that the next update to iOS 11 will allow users to disable battery performance throttling on their device. The move comes after Apple last month admitted it intentionally slows down iPhones as they get older to prevent issues that may arise as the batteries depreciate.

In an interview with ABC News, Cook said the update will arrive next month in a developer release before a wider public rollout. “We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent,” he says. “This hasn’t been done before.”

Cook also says the update will more clearly inform users when their iPhone is automatically reducing its performance in an effort to prevent unexpected shutdowns. “If you don’t want it, you can turn it off,” Cook says, though he maintains that this is not recommended — something Apple stands by in its apology letter that addressed consumers after the backlash in December. Apple currently faces multiple class action lawsuits after admitting to intentionally slowing down iPhones.

The next iOS 11 developer beta is expected in early February, which means a public release will follow some time in March.