Apple has confessed that the speculations are true: your old iPhone is getting slower.
The company confirmed in a rare statement of explanation Thursday that older models get slow with age. Apple says they use software updates to create "slowdowns" -- a deliberate effort to keep older phones running longer as the battery wears down.
Apple insists the updates aren't made to encourage you to buy a new phone. Instead, it said the performance of lithium-ion batteries degrades over time, which can sometimes cause phones to suddenly shut down in order to protect their components.
The company said last year it released a feature for iPhone 6, 6s and SE to help avoid such blackouts.