Advice needed: Battery Problem that Apple won't acknowledge

[mantan]

Over the past few months the battery life on my 6 started to deteriorate. It would run dry earlier in the day. I would watch it jump in huge increments - like 68%-41%. Sometimes the battery would jump up 20% immediately when plugged in. I checked all the usual culprits (making sure background app refresh and update were turned off, making sure big known battery drainers like FB and Messenger were turned off...)but nothing helped.

I carry my phone to track my runs (Endomondo) and listen to music. Last year I could run 2 hours with the running app and streaming music and easily have 40% battery life left. Now it won't make it through a 40 minute run without getting under 20%.

I figured the battery may be going bad...not big deal, I had that with other iPhones. I make an appointment at the local Apple Store. The Apple tech hooks it up and says the battery is fine. He tells me to turn off the stuff I'd already turned off in settings. If that didn't work, I needed to erase my phone and set it up completely as a new device - including losing anything I currently had in an app.

I told him that sounded a bit extreme...could we at least try a new battery. I'd be happy to pay the $75 at this point. If it still didn't work, then I'd try the next step. He refused. He said I couldn't buy a new batter because there was nothing wrong with my old one. Then said, I probably just needed to check my usage more carefully. I've started saving screenshots so I show where my battery is 20% after just 2-3 hours of use.

What else can I do? Kinda surprised Apple is taking such a hard line. And it sucks to not be able to use my phone to track my runs anymore. I'm about to buy a Garmin...just so I'm not tied to my phone battery problems. But I feel like Apple is forcing my hand...

Any advice....

 

[lordofthereef]

Talk to another employee. I don't see why they wouldn't do a battery swap for you on request if you're willing to pay for it.

As an aside, it's not a bad idea to setup the phone as new. Keep your old backup in case it doesn't help. But you really don't have much to lose outside of a bit of time with a full wipe and newly setup device.

 

[bransoj]

Agree regarding the setting up as a new phone, its something i've done previously on my 3GS and 5 when they started running down quicker and had good results.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

If that didn't work, I needed to erase my phone and set it up completely as a new device - including losing anything I currently had in an app.

I told him that sounded a bit extreme...could we at least try a new battery.

Wait, you think exchanging hardware is less extreme than do a software reset? Geez. Worst case you reinstall your backup, and is back to where you were before.