Craig Sanders <cas@taz.net.au> wrote:
the article states that this is due to a firmware bug that only appeared after the 4.2 update.
that sounds more like a software update that included some planned obsolescence. or more like forced rather than planned.
It could, I suppose, be an unintended bug.
apple lost a class action lawsuit in the US several years back because their ipad batteries weren't replaceable and were designed to last, iirc, only 18 months or less. i would expect and hope that winning a class action against a company that issued a software update that falsely simulated the battery dying would be a much easier prospect.
The source code and the revision history might well reveal whether it was a straightforward bug or an intended outcome (on the balance of probabilities).