Apple launched a $29 battery replacement program late last year, following revelations that the company slows down older iPhones.

That program will run until the end of 2018, and, as such, it has many wondering if it will impact the upgrade path for iPhone owners. Apple's throttling software, which can degrade iOS performance in an effort to reduce strain on the battery and stop random shutdowns, only kicks in with an older battery. Replacing it should bring performance back up to where it should be, and, with only $29 replacements, some customers may opt to keep their device(s) longer instead of opting for a brand new iPhone.

When asked about this potential situation, Tim Cook said during the post-earnings call that Apple wasn't thinking about what customers might do, as far as potential upgrades go. Cook says they launched the program because “it was the right thing to do”, and that whatever effect it has on investors was not “in our thought process of deciding to do what we've done.”

Cook did have high praise for the expanded product market for Apple devices as older devices are passed down, and that the trade-in market is still solid. Cook pointed out that even if iOS devices are out there in the wild longer, that's a good thing, because “the more people on iPhone, the better.”

Source: iPhonehacks