Apple iPhone Battery Replacement $85.95

[poopooplatter]

So, I'm paying $20 a month for network that I cannot use?

Before it went out it was at 80kbps. Yesterday at the Apple Store EDGE was almost 200kbps.

Now 0kbps

Not, good. Does this mean that my $20 will be prorated?

Life on the bleeding EDGE!

You paid $600 to be a guinea pig. My apple stock loves people like you!

 

[OutThere]

Will be available in July and will include the battery. $69 for the additional year of warranty. Check the Warranty tab on the iPhone site.

For those thinking of "popping the lid" and doing it on their own with a battery from eBay I just laugh. Take a look at Think Secret and the disassembly of the iPhone...that should make $80 look pretty good. I understand that it will last from 300-400 charges.

Looks pretty straightforward to get to the battery....pry off the black back part, unscrew 4 screws, slide off the black. Done. There's the battery. I don't see what the big deal is. If you've taken apart any electronics before, taking apart the iPhone would not be very difficult.

http://thinksecret.com/archives/iphonetakeapart/source/iphone19.html

 

[oscuh]

Yes
http://stream.ifixit.com/Parts/images/stream/images_large/10-21.jpgThe main problem is that Apple solders the battery in there--doubling the replacement time.

I wouldn't be surprised if Gen 2 iPhone batteries plug in. Still internally housed, so as not to screw with the gorgeous casework, but it would make them more easily user-replaceable, WHEN and IF you needed to.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Doubling?

Yes

The battery couldn't cost more than $20. In 6 months I predict 3rd party services charging $40 plus shipping to replace iPhone batteries.

Too bad it'll almost certainly void the warranty.

The main problem is that Apple solders the battery in there--doubling the replacement time.

Lame.

Doubling the replacement time? The work is in getting the thing open. That's a 2 minute solder job at most. Those joints are huge.

 

[Cybergypsy]

I have no problem with the price for the batt. or the 3 day turn around.......people who do should buy a nextel......

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

All this hubbub over non-user replaceable batteries?

Anyone out there with a T-Mobile Wing that can can easily remove the battery? Cuz I sure as heck can't.

My Sony Ericsson T-610 has been in use since 2004 and I have yet to actually replace the battery. But, then again, it's not a smart phone, so doesn't have the power-sucking gizmos that these new-fangled whatchamadoozits have. But anyway, the iPhone is not alone with this user replaceable battery stuff. If anyone is familiar with the Samsung Upstage, they'd see that it too lacks this. Of course, it's Samsung, so big deal right?

 

[krimedog]

I'll still change it myself

I saw a video of two people actually taking apart an iphone outside of an apple store with everybody watching......when they got to the battery (which was with great difficulty, the guy couldn't just pry it apart, he needed a tiny screwdriver to take off some teeny teeny screws), it became apparent that it would be difficult to change the battery yourself. The battery is actually attached via soldering to two wires. So unless you're real handy with electronic parts and soldering, I wouldn't attempt it, just pay the 90 bucks.

Although I was not aware of this, I still feel I would do it on my own. It's important to remember;

Soldering a battery is different than soldering a circuit board.

Meaning that soldering in components on the main logic board would risk total damage, but soldering a battery would risk.........ummm....practically nothing.

 

[Macmaniac]

A lesson for all of this

Always buy AppleCare. If you are going to drop $500-$600 on a device buy the warranty.

 

[daveschroeder]

Yes
http://stream.ifixit.com/Parts/images/stream/images_large/10-21.jpg

The battery couldn't cost more than $20. In 6 months I predict 3rd party services charging $40 plus shipping to replace iPhone batteries.

Too bad it'll almost certainly void the warranty.

The main problem is that Apple solders the battery in there--doubling the replacement time.

Lame.

Why do people always talk about "voiding the warranty" with iPod, and now iPhone, battery replacements?

First, you probably will NEVER need to replace the battery while the unit is still under warranty. And second, even if you do, the battery is COVERED under the warranty. So why would you replace it yourself? If the answer is "because I don't want to wait" or something similar, you can either use the loaner program or do the replacement at an Apple Retail store.

 

[Ubuntu]

Um, so why are you involved in MacRumors?

Kinda.

Are you seriously suggesting that the entire community is monotone? That we're all here for the same reason? Because if you are, me thinks ye be wrong, arrrgh!

I'm involved because I like to help people (even if I barely can), I like to read news about macs, because I won't touch Vista until it actually stops telling me that it needs to authorise Windows Live Messenger, and even after I doubt I'll ever buy a PC. I also like the community, because I like talking to other mac enthusiasts.

I think macs are awesome, and if anything annoys me about them, it's the people who use the old, lame arguments which are based on iMac G3s, and the others who just jump on the bandwagon.

Apple is a cool company, I'd actually like to work for Apple, as odd as it is. I just think that they're a bit too arrogant. And sometimes the arrogance doesn't pay off. It's like a psychological thing, when I got my first Powerbook, I was all like "Gooooooooooooodbye crashes!" and then it crashed over time, it froze, etc, it's inevitable, but the fact that I purchased the machine mainly because Apple sold it to me as if it was a vaccination for the world's most evil disease was now like a sting in my side. It still doesn't crash as much as my PC (which is better spec), and my macbook crashes a fair bit too.

I just don't expect it to happen. I'm engineered to expect it to not show the beachball every time I click System Preferences. But it does. And I cry. Not really.

 

[lamina]

I've replaced 3-4 batteries myself in an iPod for <$20. I'd be shocked to learn we can't obtain a battery off eBay when the replacement is necessary.

3 business days is just silly. I'm going to crack it open and change it myself.

Anyone agree/disagree?

The iPhone battery is soldered to the mainboard, so it's not nearly as easy as the iPod battery replacement which is akin to changing the battery on a cordless phone.

If you have even the most basic soldering experience, you can do it yourself though.

 

[Ubuntu]

If you can't afford the phone, don't buy it. If you like your current phone better, do not buy the iPhone. Why are you making this so hard on yourself? It could be worse. You could be in Darfur. iPhones aren't even available there.

My friend, that's the argument I'm sure anyone would dread. I realise it could be worse, I think we all must do, at one point. But we continue with our lives. I could be spending all my money on things at my age (19, and believe me, I'd love to, just gimme a credit card), but I'm not. I'm donating a small, minimal amount to local charities. I don't have a debit card yet so I can't really do anything official. But why are we all not helping the situation enough? Why are we sat at our computers, expletive about how they screw us around, interrupting our second-to-second coverage of the next Apple keynote... I guess it's a question we're too afraid to answer.


This is a forum, a place for discussion, right? I don't really think I'm making it hard on myself.

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

Kinda.
I just don't expect it to happen. I'm engineered to expect it to not show the beachball every time I click System Preferences. But it does. And I cry. Not really.

Crash-free macbook here.....and no beachball when I click system preferences. In fact, it starts up so quickly it's almost as if I had it open already

 

[Ubuntu]

So, look, I'm not the biggest fan of the ads, either. But you're compaining because the Apple ads are biased toward Apple? Are you joking or trolling?

My apologies for not making myself clear enough.

Of course an advert will be biased, but to a level, I'd hope. Apple basically trashes the competition, and yet depends on them for certain programs. Kinda harsh. I don't know if MS does the same, because I'm not an MS fan, I don't post on MS forums, and the only time I go on the site is when I want to get my head around the idea of the Surface thing.

It's great to say that macs come with iLife, but they make it out like Windows has NOTHING of the sort. They make it out like macs are more fun, but then, PCs are much better for games, and a lot of windows laptops are using Quickplay, which means that users can play DVDs without launching Windows. I know that DVDs and games aren't the whole picture, but they're still something big.

 

[Mac21ND]

2 cents...

Here's my 2 cents on the whole thing.....

No matter what Apple will make or charge, someone will always complain. If Apple wanted to 'milk' it's customers, they wouldn't offer an exchange program. They would simply insists you buy a new iPhone. "Sorry, you're warranty is up. You can buy a new iPhone for $499."

At least they're giving users an option. Sure, the option may be more expensive than some of you may like, but if it was $50, someone would want $25...

As for costs, I always love the argument of "I can get a replacement battery for $20." If you can, that's cool. The reason you can get a battery for that cost is because you're performing the labor and assuming the risk if you screw up the install. If you're Apple, you're paying for not only the battery, but labor and overhead - neither of which are cheap. I'm not saying Apple isn't making a good margin on such a program (they're a company afterall and companies are supposed to make money - how quickly we forget) but they could have gone much higher on the costs or given you no option at all.

As for replacement verses non-replacement, the replacement battery for my LG phone from Verizon is $49.99. That's not exactly cheap compared to $79 for the iPhone and I have to install it (yeah, it's not hard, but that's not the point). Take a look through At&t's (Cingular's) website at their battery costs. A few are $20. On average, they're between $40-$50. Some are even $85! Blackberry phones are $44.99 it appears. I'll certainly give you that Apple's battery is more expensive, but the difference $20-$30 difference in price helps pay for things like labor and overhead.

 

[Kwill]

iPhone is cheap compared to VOCE

VOCE costs $1500 to activate and $500 per month. (I'll bet battery replacement is included though.) It is the real phone for real rich people.

http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=173602486

 

[irun5k]

amazing

It is amazing to me how this single device has created such a polarized, vocal community!

This phenomenon is worthy of a study in itself. There are so many dynamics going on here, it is just crazy. You have so many different camps:

1) The "iPhone can do no wrong" camp. These are people who would have evangelized the device no matter what, no exceptions.

2) The "my current rate plan, my current phone, etc." camp. These are people who automatically discount the iPhone by posting information about what their current phone can do or what their current rate plan is like. For this group, cheaper and more raw features is always better, no matter what.

3) The "I don't care (but actually I do)" camp. This group claims to be annoyed with all the publicity involved with the launch of the iPhone, yet they are obviously spending time lurking on the forums that discuss it.

4) The "Apple can burn in hell" camp. These people are so annoyed at the iPhone for undisclosed reasons that they want Apple to go out of business and they want the world to know it. These people are the more ill tempered, almost violent version of the ""I don't care (but actually I do)" crowd.

5) The "Realist" camp. Okay, so this is my camp, and why I refer to it favorably. This group sees the iPhone as a big step for cell phones and the first major shift in the way people think about cell phones. This group realizes that this is currently a solid, unique product that has appeal to specific groups, and it will probably get better as time goes on. This group won't hesitate to point out limitations or things they'd like to see in future versions, which makes them different from camp #1.

I've just enjoyed observing all of this. I'm not sure what exact combination of factors led to all of this. Whatever it is though, maybe we could figure out what it is and use the same combination of things to get kids interested in school or adults interested in politics and government? Ha. wishful thinking

 

[kadajawi]

Oh my... the price is a bit high, but never mind. The main thing that bugs me is that I can't bring along a spare battery.

 

[lazyrighteye]

One poster mentioned the battery should last 300-400 charges. I SERIOUSLY hope this is not the case. Think about this, most people likely charge their cell phone EVERY DAY. Given 365 days in a year, the iPhone battery would barely last a year. Granted, these maybe full discharge and charge cycles which then would last two years. That is significantly better but I don't think I have changed the battery in my phone in 3 years.

Dude, it's "cycles," not "charges." Big difference - and a common misunderstanding, especially on these forums.

"Cycles" mean from a full charge down to completely drained.
Most people do not cycle a battery in a single day. Like me, most users charge their devices on a daily basis (before going to bed?). Thus, they are not hitting the equivalent of a cycle until 3-4 days (roughly). That's where they get the 3-4 year battery life claim.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

HTH

 

[lazyrighteye]

I've just enjoyed observing all of this. I'm not sure what exact combination of factors led to all of this. Whatever it is though, maybe we could figure out what it is and use the same combination of things to get kids interested in school or adults interested in politics and government? Ha. wishful thinking

Steve '08™?

 

[oscuh]

Kinda.

Are you seriously suggesting that the entire community is monotone? That we're all here for the same reason? Because if you are, me thinks ye be wrong, arrrgh!

I'm involved because I like to help people (even if I barely can), I like to read news about macs, because I won't touch Vista until it actually stops telling me that it needs to authorise Windows Live Messenger, and even after I doubt I'll ever buy a PC. I also like the community, because I like talking to other mac enthusiasts.

I think macs are awesome, and if anything annoys me about them, it's the people who use the old, lame arguments which are based on iMac G3s, and the others who just jump on the bandwagon.

Apple is a cool company, I'd actually like to work for Apple, as odd as it is. I just think that they're a bit too arrogant. And sometimes the arrogance doesn't pay off. It's like a psychological thing, when I got my first Powerbook, I was all like "Gooooooooooooodbye crashes!" and then it crashed over time, it froze, etc, it's inevitable, but the fact that I purchased the machine mainly because Apple sold it to me as if it was a vaccination for the world's most evil disease was now like a sting in my side. It still doesn't crash as much as my PC (which is better spec), and my macbook crashes a fair bit too.

I just don't expect it to happen. I'm engineered to expect it to not show the beachball every time I click System Preferences. But it does. And I cry. Not really.

No, this is a place for discussion, but I don't see how in one post you can say you're Anti-Apple, in the next say your Kinda Anti-Apple and then the one after that say you'd like to work at Apple! In order to have a viable discussion, you first need to determine what your position is. You can't seem to decide what you think, and that is what leads to others' confusion and frustration. You come off like Apple is a horrible company and they are to be loathed. Talk like that on MR will bring down considerable response, as it clearly has. It'd be like try preaching the virtues of being a vegan on a hunting-related forum.

Is Apple a little arrogant? Absolutely. Do they have a right to be? Yes. Why? Because, IMO, no other company can do the things they do. Do you really think MS could come out with something like the iPhone for all the money and programmers, etc they could throw at it? Apple is something special. They are JUST a company, however, and are their products perfect? No, but they're certainly more perfect than anyone else's.

 

[oscuh]

The "Realist" camp. Okay, so this is my camp, and why I refer to it favorably. This group sees the iPhone as a big step for cell phones and the first major shift in the way people think about cell phones. This group realizes that this is currently a solid, unique product that has appeal to specific groups, and it will probably get better as time goes on. This group won't hesitate to point out limitations or things they'd like to see in future versions, which makes them different from camp #1.

Great post! I like to think I'm in Group 5 as well. Granted, I lean more towards being an "Apple Can Do No Wrong" guy than I should at times, but when you compare what they do to what other people do, it's hard to not see the virtues.

Back to costs, your categorization applies ... could the battery be cheaper? Yes, but could the process be more expensive? Yes. Will it probably be "made better" in the future? I'd imagine so. Apple rarely sits on it's laurels for too long. You know they have a team of engineers already working on version 2, and probably watching threads like this to see what people have to say.

 

[macsforme]

Of course an advert will be biased, but to a level, I'd hope. Apple basically trashes the competition, and yet depends on them for certain programs. Kinda harsh. I don't know if MS does the same, because I'm not an MS fan, I don't post on MS forums, and the only time I go on the site is when I want to get my head around the idea of the Surface thing.

Apple ads are more anti-PC (i.e. the hardware manufacturers, like Dell, HP, IBM, Gateway) than anti-Microsoft, although PC hardware and Windows is hard to separate.

 

[A Pittarelli]

hmm i dunno, sound like a solid program to me

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

Apple ads are more anti-PC (i.e. the hardware manufacturers, like Dell, HP, IBM, Gateway) than anti-Microsoft, although PC hardware and Windows is hard to separate.

If Michael Dell said that I should "close up shop and give the investors their money back", I'd probably take shots at 'em too.