BATTERYGATE

What Does Batterygate Mean?

The Quick Answer

Batterygate means "Throttling of the Performance of iPhones, Without the Knowledge of Users."

More Observations...

image for Batterygate, showing a battery

"Batterygate" refers to a controversy involving the technology company Apple Inc. that emerged in late 2017. In response to complaints from customers that their older iPhones were slowing down significantly, Apple introduced updates aimed at managing battery power. However, the updates actually achieved their aim by throttling the performance of users' devices. The new software deliberately lowered the phone's performance in order to avoid shutdowns. This fact was not clearly communicated to users, leading to widespread criticism and accusations that Apple was engaging in planned obsolescence — deliberately shortening the lifespan of its products to encourage consumers to buy newer models.

The backlash from consumers, regulatory scrutiny, and multiple lawsuits led Apple to issue a formal apology and offer discounted battery replacements for affected devices. Additionally, Apple updated its software to give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone's battery and the option to turn off the performance management feature.

Image for Batterygate

When I write Batterygate, I mean this:

Batterygate was a controversy involving the technology company Apple Inc.

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

Batterygate
Definition:	Throttling of the Performance of iPhones, Without the Knowledge of Users
Type:	Word
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at Batterygate

image of a teacher wearing a mortar board

The term "gate" is often attached to scandals, echoing the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s. "Batterygate" can be considered a neologism. A neologism is a newly coined word or phrase that has recently come into use or has been created to describe a new concept, idea, or phenomenon. Neologisms can be created in any language and can take different forms, such as:

A new meaning for an existing word (e.g., cloud, mood, sick, tweet, viral).
A completely new word (e.g., fomo, selfie, emoji).
A new combination of existing words, or words with prefixes or suffixes (e.g., cloutrage, digital detox, situationship, oversharing, antifragile), and Batterygate itself.

Neologisms are often the result of changes in technology, culture, or social norms, and they can be found in fields such as science, technology, politics, and popular culture. Some neologisms become widely used and enter mainstream vocabulary, while others remain obscure or limited to specific communities or contexts.