Are our phones really designed to slow down over time? Experts look at the evidence

It’s usually around this time of year you hear people complain about their phones slowing down. Apple and Google release new versions of their operating systems (OS) and suddenly there’s a slew of people claiming their old devices have started to lag – conveniently just before Christmas. But do manufacturers really slow down our phones on purpose to nudge us towards shiny new ones, as has been claimed? The answer to this, as usual, is complicated. Let’s take a look at the evidence.