I think we can all agree 2016 was a year Samsung wants to forget. But 2016 wasn’t a joyous year for Apple, either. Many customers don’t like their new iPhone 6s, thanks to poor batteries. Apple’s battery: Folks are mad now!
So right away, customers’ phones shut down. Furthermore, the batteries weren’t even dead, or dying. Then, after numerous complaints, Apple finally addressed the issue. They assured people the problem wasn’t a big one. Then they showed customers to check their battery to see if they need a replacement. But the problem got worse. Apple’s battery shut iPhones down, even those who didn’t qualify for a replacement. Later, they found the problem: Too much exposure to ambient air during assembly. Therefore, the batteries shut down faster than normal batteries.
But this didn’t even solve the whole problem. Apple’s battery kept on slipping. It go so bad governments confronted Apple. Consumer advocate groups criticized Apple. They believed Apple’s battery problem was worse than Apple admitted. They also accused Apple of failing to meet basic customer needs. Also, iPhones were shutting off every other day. These include all iPhone 6 versions. They made these versions between September and October 2015. Many tech journalists, like Fortune’s John Roberts, claim Apple won’t admit what’s going on.
Okay, so Apple’s Battery problem isn’t as grave as Samsung. But it’s worth talking about. There’s a lot of bad press and customer anger following this incident. That’s not good for Apple, or any IT support company, or any business period. Apple saw it’s worse revenue in 15 years. Also, Tim Cook took a pay cut. I hope Apple learned a lesson from this. Consumers are getting smarter, and more vocal, and more cynical of corporations. This only adds to the cynicism. I think Apple’s only saving grace here was the fact Samsung had a far worse Q4 2016. But personally, I had a battery problem with my iPod Touch. But that device was 5 years old. Can you imagine having a battery problem with a device just five days old?