Apple previews iOS 11.3, adds toggle to disable processor throttling on older iPhones

Apple’s upcoming iOS 11.3 update will provide information on battery health and recommend if a battery needs to be serviced.

Apple admitted to slowing down older iPhones through software updates. (AFP)

Apple on Wednesday announced iOS 11.3, the next big update to the company's operating system for iPhones. The upcoming update comes with the much anticipated button that allows users to disable processor throttling, a controversial feature that slowed performance of the older iPhones with worn out batteries.

The additional controls are meant to appease iPhone owners outraged since Apple acknowledged last month that its recent software updates had been secretly slowing down older iPhones when their batteries weakened. Despite Apple's contrition, the company is still facing an investigation by French authorities , a series of questions from U.S. Senate and a spate of consumer lawsuits alleging misconduct.

Apple's iOS 11.3 update will be rolled out this sprint. An initial beta is available as of now, but the battery features have not yet been implemented.

"iOS 11.3 adds new features to show battery health and recommend if a battery needs to be serviced. These can be found in Settings -> Battery and are available for iPhone 6 and later," Apple announced on its website.

"Additionally, users can now see if the power management feature that dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns, first introduced in iOS 10.2.1, is on and can choose to turn it off. This feature can be found in Settings -> Battery and is available for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus."

Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook told ABC News that Apple did not have any ulterior motive in throttling batteries, claiming that all batteries age over time.

"About a year ago, we released some code that essentially what it does is, all batteries age over time, and they become unhealthy at a point in time. And an unhealthy battery has a probability that it will create an unexpected restart. When we did put it out, we did say what it was, but I don't think a lot of people were paying attention, maybe we should have been clearer as well," Tim Cook told ABC News in an exclusive interview.

"And so, we deeply apologize for anybody that thinks we had some other kind of motivation," he added.

Earlier in December 2017, soon after news of Apple having slowed down older versions of their flagship device, the iPhone, broke the internet and social media forums, the company had offered $29 worth battery replacements for a year. For the Indian market, the company announced a flat ₹2,000 for the battery replacement.

Other key features of iOS 11.3 update include new animojis in messages, new Augmented Reality-focused features, and improved Apple News.

(with inputs from HT correspondent, ANI)