Samsung fined $5.7M for Slowing Down Devices

[Ink]

Content source

https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-slow-down-fine-2018-917806/

Samsung has yet to issue a statement on the fine.

• The Italian Authority for Market and Competition just issued a $5.7 million fine to Samsung.
• The fine is tied to the “Samsung slow down” — the drop in performance smartphones sometimes show after receiving new updates.
• Apple’s “Batterygate” was similar in practice. In fact, the Italian watchdog group also fined Apple $11.5 million.

A watchdog group called the Italian Authority for Market and Competition just issued South Korean electronics giant Samsung a fine for 5 million euros (~$5.7 million), via SamMobile. The cash penalty is due to the “Samsung slow down,” i.e., the phenomenon of smartphones dropping in performance after receiving new updates.

The independent investigation into Samsung’s update practices for various smartphones concluded some updates “caused serious dysfunctions and reduced performance significantly, thereby accelerating the process of replacing them.”

The Italian watchdog group also accused Samsung of neglecting to inform customers about the potential impact of the smartphone updates as well as neglecting to provide a way to restore the original functionality of the device(s).

 

[Eddie Morra]

**Crosses Samsung off the good list**
**Adds Samsung to the naughty list**

 

[In2an3_PpG]

**Crosses Samsung off the good list**
**Adds Samsung to the naughty list**

The Note 8 i have now is probably the last Samsung Smartphone i purchase. I have had the Note 2, S5, Note 4, and Note 5. Time to move on after this contract is up.

 

[Eddie Morra]

I'll go with the Sony Xperia series next time like I used to before the Samsung Galaxy S8... it never did me wrong. Ever.

Heck, a 5 year old Sony Xperia would still be enough for me.

 

[AlanOstaszewski]

Just put LineageOS on a mobile phone and you're done. Works mostly super and doesn't allow such stupid things like this.

Disclaimer: Still, I don't want to defend Samsung. That is disappointing.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

This is pretty sad and frustrating news. I love my Samsung phone, but after this it may be my last Samsung phone.

It's quite sad that companies have to sink to this level in order to get people to buy their phones (or any product for that matter). One thing I do not get is why do these companies insist on releasing phones every year? Like in all honestly how often can you say that the new model is truly an upgrade over last years model? Probably not very much. I honestly wish that companies would just release new phones every 2-3 years instead of yearly. I think it would make it so that when they do release a new product, it should hopefully be an actual upgrade over the last gen model. Most people (at least the people I know) won't buy a new phone anyways until their contract is up for renewal, which for most major carriers is 2-3 years anyways. Maybe if they have longer lead times between releases it would allow them to release a better product and hopefully prevent episodes like the exploding battery fiasco.