“Companies Intentionally Slow Down Older Devices When New Ones Drop”

This myth is somewhat difficult to address, mainly since there’s been so much controversy surrounding it in the news lately, but according to the survey, just over half (~52 percent) believe that smartphone makers deliberately slow down their devices when a newer model is released.

But while Apple and Samsung, have been openly accused (and penalized) for allegedly forcing older models to slow down (conveniently, around the same time of a new model’s launch), a two- or three-year-old device’s perceived sluggishness can also be attributed to the simple fact that daily usage, (i.e., wear and tear), will ultimately take its toll on your phone, likely pushing you to update, regardless, sooner or later. However, updates like iOS 12 have been proven to speed up iPhones, even older ones like the 5s.