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Bryan Bowler

macrumors 601
Sep 27, 2008
4,024
4,347
All the conspiracy theorists can babble on while I go on about living my life. Next November, I’ll go get the battery replaced on my iPhone 7 Plus and my wife’s iPhone 7 for $29 each. Great way to refresh a 2-yr old used battery at that point.

Thanks Apple!
 

Baymowe335

Suspended
Oct 6, 2017
6,640
12,451
The stores in my area (Washington, DC) are dumpster fires with massive lines at all times during all days of the week. You’d think they’d just debuted a new product. None have batteries and the wait times are over a week now.

Just goes to show how many Apple customers are smart enough to not upgrade for relatively useless features.

Yes it sounds conspiratorial, but Apple is all too aware that the most useful apps (not necessarily the latest games) run just fine on a 6 without any performance problems and without “innovations” like 3D Touch. We know this too. The only restrictions are battery life and (now) Apple’s intentional slowdown. Might not be a conspiracy, but if it walks like a duck...

The truth is, if the iPhone battery were user replaceable, Apple’s revenue would be significantly lower over the last 5 years. Does anyone really believe they don’t know this and didn’t consider it when designing the device? And they certainly have no incentive to be highly responsive to those asking for new batteries (at least not until a court orders it).

In reality, I might end up deciding to keep my $29 battery replacement fee and instead upgrade to a new iPhone just to capture the current $125 trade-in value on my 6, but I would do this simply because I believe Apple will stop supporting the 6 before the end of 2018 for no real reason other than they want to. If not for that, I’d replace the battery and use the 6 until it (or I) kick the bucket.
You’re totally riffing and off the reservation. Practically everything you said is pure speculation.

Flagship smartphones don’t have user replaceable batteries these days, not just iPhone.
 

M.PaulCezanne

macrumors 6502a
Mar 5, 2014
884
1,629
You’re totally riffing and off the reservation. Practically everything you said is pure speculation.

Flagship smartphones don’t have user replaceable batteries these days, not just iPhone.
How the heck old are you? iPhones have never had replaceable batteries but competitors did. Good grief. Think before typing.
 
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Baymowe335

Suspended
Oct 6, 2017
6,640
12,451
How the heck old are you? iPhones have never had replaceable batteries but competitors did. Good grief. Think before typing.
What part of my post confused you so severely or made you believe I was a baby? Flagship smartphones THESE days don’t have user replaceable batteries. I never said iPhones ever had them or that competitors never had them, but the trend on flagships is to NOT have them.

Think before typing. I guarantee I know more about Apple than you because I own more shares than you and have to know what’s going on.
 
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78Bandit

macrumors 6502a
Jun 13, 2009
688
1,252
Why not just buy a new iPhone out of frustration? That's what Apple would strongly want from you in any case.

Believe me, if I didn't have faith a new battery would restore the phone's performance I would have bought something last month. The phone is just barely usable and I'm tempted to pop my SIM card in my old iPhone 5 to get me through this battery supply shortage.

Right now I'm trying to nurse things along until we see what the rumored $700 large-screen LCD device looks like in September. I'm hoping it turns out to be a decent device that is basically an updated iPhone 8 with a small-bezel screen. That would suit my needs just fine.
 

Baymowe335

Suspended
Oct 6, 2017
6,640
12,451
Believe me, if I didn't have faith a new battery would restore the phone's performance I would have bought something last month. The phone is just barely usable and I'm tempted to pop my SIM card in my old iPhone 5 to get me through this battery supply shortage.

Right now I'm trying to nurse things along until we see what the rumored $700 large-screen LCD device looks like in September. I'm hoping it turns out to be a decent device that is basically an updated iPhone 8 with a small-bezel screen. That would suit my needs just fine.
Life is tough with modern conveniences. My condolences.
[doublepost=1515690978][/doublepost]
Apple announces something then delays it!? What a shock....
Not delayed for all types. They don’t have a crystal ball or unlimited supply.
 

gugy

macrumors 68040
Jan 31, 2005
3,882
5,295
La Jolla, CA
Man this battery issue is such a stain to Apple's reputation. My wife 6S battery drains 50% capacity after 2.5hrs standby and 1hr usage. Mostly on wifi. Called Apple did the battery diagnostic that passed by the way and they tried to convince me I have no issues and should learn more about ways to preserve battery efficiency.
Now, I have an appointment next week and there is a good chance they might cancel due supply battery shortages.
Incredible.
 

HobeSoundDarryl

macrumors G5
Step back and think about the proposition, NOT through the "Apple is always right" lens but through a consumer lens:
  • A fellow consumer's iPhone (or maybe yours) feels slower
  • Seemingly objective test strongly implies throttling in iOS code
  • Apple admits throttling code but associates it solely with an aging battery
  • Apple offers a new battery for $29 whether the existing battery needs replaced or not
  • Consumer sees $29 buying them a much faster iPhone and/or adding some useful life to their existing iPhone
Consumers are doing nothing wrong. Apple has basically invited them to take this action to apparently remedy a problem Apple introduced with throttling code (and no consumer option to turn it off). Consumer has to PAY money to buy this upgrade. Pretending there is something wrong with consumers doing what Apple offered is ridiculous.

This business of "whether they need it or not" is not a consumer bashing catalyst either. Did you get AppleCare not knowing if you would need it or not? A flu shot? Insurance on your car, home, possessions, life, health, etc? We buy things all the time whether we need them or not. If the price is right and there is a tangible benefit (as is the case here), why not?

Before someone comes back about putting those who really need a battery replacement at the front of the lines, think through how to make that actually work in a retail-friendly approach. Try boarding a plane in a perfect order from back row to front, window, then middle, then aisle seats, for a perfectly orderly boarding process. No airline has been able to pull that off yet and that's only a few hundred people at most. How do you schedule most need to least need battery replacements on upwards of tens of millions of iPhones? "No sir, based on your battery's condition vs. all others, you are #11,646,788 in the que."

I know for some of us when the parties involved are Apple vs __________, the latter must be wrong. In this case, it's Apple vs. Apple consumers. Of course, those pesky consumers have to be wrong in this... in spite of Apple's own admission, a third party test driving the admission and all of us knowing first hand that aging iDevices do seem to slow down with each new iOS upgrade.

Personally, I hope all the throttling code is solely associated with an aging battery. Spend $29 and get back to near full speed sounds like a terrific consumer benefit to me... much like we used to spend about $49 to buy a new version of OS X.
 
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DTECHQUE

macrumors member
Oct 3, 2017
53
152
Maybe people should take into consideration that the 6 Plus has been around since late 2014, which is 3 iPhones ago. It isn't surprising for Apple to not have thousands of these lying around, which is why they need to revamp their facility in China in order to start mass producing this again.
 

TheShadowKnows!

macrumors 6502a
Sep 30, 2014
860
1,734
National Capital Region
My take is that this is not going to end well for Apple.

Hear me out:

Replacing these batteries is no walk in the park.
Specially as these these batteries are now anchored, and glued, to the back shell, behind all their electronics:
  1. no means to access the battery other than deconstructing the phone from the display
  2. worse of all, having to violate the display-to-case water/dust seal.
  3. add to this theatre: the demands imposed on the overworked Geniuses by their store managers to execute no less than x-batteries-per-hour -- all in the crowded backroom.
It all adds to a FUBAR customer experience, with Apple yet to see the full impact of their self-inflicted SNAFU.
 

HeresaThought

macrumors newbie
Jan 11, 2018
2
0
I had no problem replacing myself batteries on both my iPhone 6 and my wife's, took 20 mins for the first one and 10 mins for the second one, with a battery kit from amazon at 25$. The phones now work as new, snappy and smooth. Even my wife, who hadn't complained about the slowness of the phone as much as I did, noticed a big change in speed. Considering changing the battery on my iPhone 5 too, albeit I haven't noticed any slowdowns, perhaps I should upgrade to the latest iOS? ;)
 

artfossil

macrumors 68000
Oct 5, 2015
1,765
2,031
Florida
With regard to all battery threads (channeling Patience and Prudence):

I got along without you before I met you
Gonna get along without you now
So long (Get along without you now) my honey (Get along without you now)
Goodbye (Get along without you now) my dear (Get along without you now)
Gonna get along without you now
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,495
11,155
Are we surprised? On the other hand, Apple are quick to slow down older phones even more to force upgrades.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordon...ery-life-iphone-performance-slowdown-throttle
Screenshot-2018-01-11-at-01.58.09.jpg
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,444
22,999
My take is that this is not going to end well for Apple.

Hear me out:

Replacing these batteries is no walk in the park.
Specially as these these batteries are now anchored, and glued, to the back shell, behind all their electronics:
  1. no means to access the battery other than deconstructing the phone from the display
  2. worse of all, having to violate the display-to-case water/dust seal.
  3. add to this theatre: the demands imposed on the overworked Geniuses by their store managers to execute no less than x-batteries-per-hour -- all in the crowded backroom.
It all adds to a FUBAR customer experience, with Apple yet to see the full impact of their self-inflicted SNAFU.

That makes no sense. You make it sound like microsurgery when a child could replace the battery.

The battery in the iPhone was designed to replaced. It has pull tabs designed for such a purpose.

The display seal in the 6s and 7 are meant to replaced.
 

MachCrit

Suspended
Jun 5, 2017
187
363
Lurking About the Planet
I made an appointment last week at the Cherry Hill, New Jersey Apple Store to have the battery in my 6+ replaced, but got a call early this week stating whats now in the headline, don’t count on a replacement until March or April. I’m disappointed that Apple seem to find new ways these days to crap on the customers.

Yeah, because they could easily obtain these batteries from the battery trees that grow all over China. This is a huge scam that Steve would have never allowed to happen.

Could you try a battery case in the interim until the depleted stocks are restored?
 
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TheShadowKnows!

macrumors 6502a
Sep 30, 2014
860
1,734
National Capital Region
I had no problem replacing myself batteries on both my iPhone 6 and my wife's, took 20 mins for the first one and 10 mins for the second one, with a battery kit from amazon at 25$. The phones now work as new, snappy and smooth. Even my wife, who hadn't complained about the slowness of the phone as much as I did, noticed a big change in speed. Considering changing the battery on my iPhone 5 too, albeit I haven't noticed any slowdowns, perhaps I should upgrade to the latest iOS? ;)

Let me bother you with two questions:
  1. [CRITICAL] Did you replace the water/dust seal between display and case? [And, be specific. Where did you purchased them? To my knowledge they are not available.]
  2. [LESS CRITICAL] Did you replace the battery adhesive strips, as well? [If so, Amazon's "market sellers" at $25, surely do not carry them.]
Kudos on your successful replacements!

But most likely than not, your phones have lost their original water-tightness.
 

MrGuder

macrumors 68040
Nov 30, 2012
3,026
2,012
Also remember the longer people are forced in waiting for batteries the more those people might just say oh forget it I'll just get a new iPhone, isn't that what Apple wants?
 
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OldSchoolMacGuy

Suspended
Jul 10, 2008
4,197
9,050
I didn't feel that performance decrease. Source?

You only see the slowdown if your battery is in bad shape. It's also unlikely to be noticed (which is why people didn't realize until all these articles came out). The slowdown would have happened over time, rather than suddenly.
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,444
22,999
Let me bother you with two questions:
  1. [CRITICAL] Did you replace the water/dust seal between display and case? [And, be specific. Where did you purchased them? To my knowledge they are not available.]
  2. [LESS CRITICAL] Did you replace the battery adhesive strips, as well? [If so, Amazon's "market sellers" at $25, surely do not carry them.]
Kudos on your successful replacements!

But most likely than not, your phones have lost their original water-tightness.

The iPhone 6 does not have a water seal.

If you have a 6s, you can buy the seal easily from AliExpress for less than $1. If you want to buy from a U.S. retailer, iFixit. Same for the battery adhesive strips.

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/iPhone/iPhone-6s-Plus-Display-Assembly-Adhesive/IF315-049-1
https://www.ifixit.com/Store/iPhone/iPhone-6-Plus-6s-Plus-7-Plus-Battery-Adhesive-Strips/IF269-020-1

You're trying to make something out of nothing.
 
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