How Apple Turns Your Old iPhone Into Gold And Keeps You Hooked

Video Description

How Apple Turns Your Old iPhone Into Gold And Keeps You Hooked https://youtu.be/oKPGMJucN0Y Ever wonder why your iphone so slow right before a new model drops? It's not just in your head. This video explores the phenomenon of deliberately slowed-down iPhones, referencing Apple's 2017 admission of cpu throttling older devices through software updates, which led to a massive apple class action lawsuit and a $500 million settlement. We look into how this iphone throttling impacts user experience and what it means for consumers when their slow iphone performance is intentionally degraded. Why does your iPhone slow down before new models launch and how does Apple turn old iPhones into gold? This video exposes planned obsolescence as business model: - Apple admitted software throttling 2017: December 2017 developers discovered Apple secretly slowing iPhone 6/6s/SE/7 through iOS updates 10.2.1 and 11.2; - $500M settlement but billions in extra revenue: Apple settled lawsuits paying $500M+ US $14.4M Canada €25M fine France users filed claims got $92.17 each, but settlement pales compared to earnings from throttling; - Why Apple worth $4.1 trillion: second most valuable company earth fiscal 2025 generated $416B revenue $94B profit, iPhone alone $209B (more than half everything Apple makes), Services segment (AppleCare warranties repairs) $109B growing 13.5% year-over-year, with 2.35B active devices even 10% users upgrading annually instead repairing generates tens of billions additional revenue, Apple profits more from replacement than repair obsolescence than longevity breaking than lasting; - Repair made impossible by design: battery replacement costs $89 Apple Store when battery itself $15-20 because designed extremely difficult (glued to case not removable, specialized tools heating equipment needed, proprietary pentalobe screws require specific screwdrivers), Kyle Wiens iFixit CEO says Apple chose fasteners specifically because new and rare making repair tools scarce expensive (not engineering necessity deliberate choice discourage self-repair); - Parts serialization and pairing: newer iPhones serialize individual components (batteries screens cameras sensors) tied to specific device serial numbers, even if replace with genuine Apple part from another iPhone displays warning messages or disables features because part not "paired" to your device, literally cannot fully repair own iPhone even with genuine Apple parts unless go through Apple system, France 2023 investigation accused Apple "planned obsolescence" because serialization gives control over who can repair; - Self Service Repair program designed impractical: launched 2022 after right-to-repair pressure technically allows customers repair devices but reality designed impractical (provide device serial Apple tracks who repairing, parts cost nearly as much as Apple repair $70 battery kit vs $89 in-store just $19 savings, ships massive 79-pound toolkit costs $49 to rent week = to save $19 pay $49 rent tools do work yourself); - Extraction economics when iPhone 2 years old: battery health drops below 80% performance throttling kicks in phone noticeably slower, check battery health see "degraded," three choices ($89 battery keep phone working 2-3 years, $200-400 repairs if something breaks, $799-1,199 new iPhone), from Apple perspective option three worth 9-13x more revenue than option one, new iPhone sale continues cycle (AppleCare accessories iCloud storage apps = customer lifetime value replacement dramatically exceeds repair); - Ecosystem lock-in keeps you hooked: can't easily leave once in (apps data accessories family iMessage all tied to Apple platform), switching costs huge so Apple pushes obsolescence further than competitors knowing you won't leave entirely, Android removable batteries doesn't matter if stuff in iCloud, third-party repair cheaper doesn't matter if Apple voids warranty disables features, monopoly over digital life gives monopoly power over repair choices; - Late-stage extraction pattern: Apple can't double 2.35B user base overnight so shorten practical lifespan devices making replacement more attractive than repair, if reduces average upgrade cycle just one year and 20% users (300M people) buy new phones one year earlier that's $270B extra revenue dwarfing $500M settlement; The Empire Economy reveals late-stage corporate pattern where when growth from new customers slows companies extract more from existing base shortening device lifespans making repair impractical because if Apple reduces upgrade cycle one year across 300 million users that's $270 billion extra revenue dwarfing settlement costs proving most profitable company Earth makes more money when your phone breaks than when it works. #apple #appleiphone #money #empireeconomy #business #iphone