Apple Launches Repair Program for iPhone 6s Devices Experiencing Unexpected Shutdowns

[Letsi]

https://www.applerecall.org/iphone-6s-program-for-unexpected-shutdown-issues/

Mentions that Apple added today more serial numbers to the list....

That's not an official apple site is it?
Was wondering where's the link for an apple article that states the serial numbers eligible for a battery exchange.

I recall the battery exchange program for iphone 5 being a lot more straight forward (official apple support page to key in the iphone serial number, which my wife's iphone 5 was eligible for) than this round....
Guess I should just avoid buying a newly launched iphone within first 3 months in the future.

 

[ariusbb]

Letsi - it mentions that is not official - but shows a screenshot that I assume comes from Apple's GSX (service system).

 

[whrage]

That's not an official apple site is it?
Was wondering where's the link for an apple article that states the serial numbers eligible for a battery exchange.

I recall the battery exchange program for iphone 5 being a lot more straight forward (official apple support page to key in the iphone serial number, which my wife's iphone 5 was eligible for) than this round....
Guess I should just avoid buying a newly launched iphone within first 3 months in the future.

I was at an APR today, mine is QJ, and they said it's eligible for battery change.

 

[Letsi]

Letsi - it mentions that is not official - but shows a screenshot that I assume comes from Apple's GSX (service system).

I was at an APR today, mine is QJ, and they said it's eligible for battery change.

Thanks for the clarification. Hope replacement for mine would be as smooth. Cheers

 

[Tharius]

I've been having this problem for a few weeks now and thought it was just my iPhone getting older and natural battery decay; however, I ended up googling it to see if other 6S users had the same problem and stumbled upon their press release. ended up calling and giving them my serial number and they said that yes, my phone does have the problem and the battery will be replaced free of charge.

however, does anyone think that it might be beneficial to wait a few months to get the battery repaired? while the problem is annoying, getting your battery fixed later would make the phone last longer. they told me I had 2 years to resolve the issue

 

[Black Magic]

I've been having this problem for a few weeks now and thought it was just my iPhone getting older and natural battery decay; however, I ended up googling it to see if other 6S users had the same problem and stumbled upon their press release. ended up calling and giving them my serial number and they said that yes, my phone does have the problem and the battery will be replaced free of charge.

however, does anyone think that it might be beneficial to wait a few months to get the battery repaired? while the problem is annoying, getting your battery fixed later would make the phone last longer. they told me I had 2 years to resolve the issue

I would fix the phone now while the getting is good. It's not like the battery will significantly deteriorate within a few months unless you aren't taking care of your phone.

 

[Time-Lord]

My 6s Plus is having this issue...

YEA, mine has been doing it since about August. Randomly shutting off, Sometime I will plug it in to charge and it will go down. Or i'll unplug it and it will start going up even though it's not even charging. But guess what they said when i took it to the apple store Monday? "the replacement is only for the 6s models. Not the plus models." Okay so why are me and a ton of other people having the same issues then...? Thanks Apple!!

 

[Pupi]

Is there a definitive answer for whether the 6s Plus is included in this or not?

 

[Time-Lord]

Is there a definitive answer for whether the 6s Plus is included in this or not?

The lady at the Apple Store said it's only for 6s models and not the plus. Which doesn't make sense considering both models are experiencing issues... like mine. So she ran a test and said my battery was fine. Which I'm glad your iPad says it's fine but it's not considering I use it day to day. So she basically just did an iCloud restore because she said sometimes it's software related. Which is the same answer I got the last time from them.

 

[Trevvv]

I just went to the Apple Store in Ginza and was told my device falls under the program. Seems to be a lot of others too because I'll have to wait 3 weeks for the battery to arrive...

 

[Carmenia83]

I don't know if it's just coincidence, but I didn't notice this happening to me until a little after iOS10 in September. I bought my iPhone 6s in January.

Mine was a launch day unit and the problem started very early. The battery life was noticeably worse within a few months, then the shutdowns started in July/Aug, which is when I had it replaced.

 

[Pupi]

The lady at the Apple Store said it's only for 6s models and not the plus. Which doesn't make sense considering both models are experiencing issues... like mine. So she ran a test and said my battery was fine. Which I'm glad your iPad says it's fine but it's not considering I use it day to day. So she basically just did an iCloud restore because she said sometimes it's software related. Which is the same answer I got the last time from them.

Sucks :/

 

[amanss]

Been experiencing the exact same symptoms on my iPhone 6 for few weeks now...

 

[scriptkitten]

thank god. my iPhone has been having this issue for about 6 months and i got so infuriated today. i've had it with this phone. it dies between 50 and 30% consistently. about 8 times a day... and i can barely get 2 hours of use out of it. the apple store was like "oh your battery is just fine, just wipe it"

i refuse to lose all my texts and health data so i used some tools to back up that data and then i did a restore with deciphertools... still same problems. i was about to wipe and restore with deciphertools again and then i found this thread.

 

[danbalsh]

For anyone interest, took mine in yesterday to Apple Manchester - he said they had no batteries left in stock, noticed I had AppleCare+ so just swapped the whole iPhone out

In and out in 5mins!

Shame the guy was a miserable so and so, but who cares.

 

[No5tromo]

I am eligible for replacement. The replacement program was announced a few days after the problem revealed itself in my 6s. I will have to wait until the batteries are received by the service spot and since batteries can't be shipped by plane I will have to wait for land delivery, I assume for a few weeks. The problem is getting more annoying by the day, the replacement process will be hell too cause Apple where I live has only got authorised service providers in very specific locations with narrow working hours. And of course I also have the Samsung chipset and all kinds of bugs since iOS 10. Paying for "premium" is so much fun with Apple...

 

[Trevvv]

For anyone interest, took mine in yesterday to Apple Manchester - he said they had no batteries left in stock, noticed I had AppleCare+ so just swapped the whole iPhone out

In and out in 5mins!

Shame the guy was a miserable so and so, but who cares.

You're quite lucky. They said it was against the program policy to do that....I'd rather had the whole phone replaced!

 

[ringofan]

xxxQF serial number here, Shibuya (in Tokyo) Apple store confirmed the device is affected but they have ran out of replacement batteries, 1-2 week wait for new supplies...

 

[Beezy253]

Thought I would share my experience with this issue.

I originally called Apple late last month regarding this issue.
I had it happen AGAIN while they were still open, so I immediately called, I specifically asked the Apple Care Rep to run a diagnostics on the phone before I did anything/answered any questions.
She did as I asked, and confirmed that there wasn't any issues with my phone/battery, and the only thing she could see on the report is the Software wasn't updated/the phone hadn't been backed up. (mind you, the latest Software update had just been released a day or two before I called).

I informed her, that this was on purpose, as I hadn't noticed the issue until I installed the Software version I was currently running (when I called to report the issue).

She of course recommended that I restore the phone to fix the issue. (I was annoyed, as I had Apple Care on the phone, but thought, what the heck, let me update the Software to see if it'll fix the issue.)

Fast forward to about a week after I called. I was on vacation in Vegas (warmer weather), and I noticed I didn't have any issues with it turning off on me.

Got home to WA, and went into the Garage, and bam, even with the newest Software version, it turned off on me.

Weeks go by, then I finally see that Apple is acknowledging the issue, and set up the Battery Repair program.

I contact Apple Via Chat (after hours), and ask them to check if my phone is part of the recall. (call it what you want, it's a recall). After the Rep confirming with their supervisor, I'm told it was part of the recall, and that I would need to go in-store to complete the battery replacement.

I ask if they could do it through the mail. (as I wanted them to forward my phone to to engineering department, so they can actually look into the issue), and was told I would need to contact a Sr advisor in the morning. I also informed the Rep that I wanted a full refund for my Apple Care, as when I originally called, I felt as if Apple tried to blow me off by suggesting I restore the phone as new.

After speaking to a few people, I finally got a Sr Advisor who was able to set up the replacement through the mail, and also get me to someone in Customer Relations to get me a refund on my Apple Care.

Get this, I was also offered an Apple Gift Pack, which included a Hat, Shirt, and Water Bottle. While I accepted the "gift", I did go head with getting a refund for my Apple Care.

My phone and or replacement should be back on Tuesday, so I plan on testing my hot/cold theory to see if the cold makes a difference.

 

[asggold]

Thought I would share my experience with this issue.

I originally called Apple late last month regarding this issue.
I had it happen AGAIN while they were still open, so I immediately called, I specifically asked the Apple Care Rep to run a diagnostics on the phone before I did anything/answered any questions.
She did as I asked, and confirmed that there wasn't any issues with my phone/battery, and the only thing she could see on the report is the Software wasn't updated/the phone hadn't been backed up. (mind you, the latest Software update had just been released a day or two before I called).

I informed her, that this was on purpose, as I hadn't noticed the issue until I installed the Software version I was currently running (when I called to report the issue).

She of course recommended that I restore the phone to fix the issue. (I was annoyed, as I had Apple Care on the phone, but thought, what the heck, let me update the Software to see if it'll fix the issue.)

Fast forward to about a week after I called. I was on vacation in Vegas (warmer weather), and I noticed I didn't have any issues with it turning off on me.

Got home to WA, and went into the Garage, and bam, even with the newest Software version, it turned off on me.

Weeks go by, then I finally see that Apple is acknowledging the issue, and set up the Battery Repair program.

I contact Apple Via Chat (after hours), and ask them to check if my phone is part of the recall. (call it what you want, it's a recall). After the Rep confirming with their supervisor, I'm told it was part of the recall, and that I would need to go in-store to complete the battery replacement.

I ask if they could do it through the mail. (as I wanted them to forward my phone to to engineering department, so they can actually look into the issue), and was told I would need to contact a Sr advisor in the morning. I also informed the Rep that I wanted a full refund for my Apple Care, as when I originally called, I felt as if Apple tried to blow me off by suggesting I restore the phone as new.

After speaking to a few people, I finally got a Sr Advisor who was able to set up the replacement through the mail, and also get me to someone in Customer Relations to get me a refund on my Apple Care.

Get this, I was also offered an Apple Gift Pack, which included a Hat, Shirt, and Water Bottle. While I accepted the "gift", I did go head with getting a refund for my Apple Care.

My phone and or replacement should be back on Tuesday, so I plan on testing my hot/cold theory to see if the cold makes a difference.

So, I had about the same experience yesterday. Here in Richmond, VA the Apple Store is probably one of the worst in the country when it comes to customer support (or lack of it).

Anyway, got to the store where my battery replacement had been set up only to be told they had no batteries. This was after a hinge argument with the Genius Bar check-in person telling me they would not change the battery without me turning off Find my Phone and restoring my phone.

After leaving the store I called Apple Support since they didn't even have a date as to when they would replace my battery. Found out they have no batteries available in their nationwide warehouses until Dec 20th. From there they will be shipped to stores based on store volume. So, don't expect to get your battery replacement anytime soon.

Ended up asking to speak with a manager, then another manager after the "Sr. Assoc" (really just an "ass") told me he had never heard of this battery replacement. The manager ended up sending me a new phone for free. If you complain about their process and not getting this replaced in a timely manner they will give you a new phone. The manager in the store even said they would do it but they didn't have any of my phone version in stock.

Main issue with all of this is the WORST process from Apple around all this and their lack of being proactive to the customer. They put ALL the work on the customer.

Anyway, as much of a pain as it will be to transfer phones at least it is better than waiting months for another battery to fix this annoying issue.

Good Luck!

 

[Tronic]

My QF 6S shutdown with 75% yesterday...

 

[Wholmeswa]

My 6s is not in the serial number range for the replacement, but is seeing some of the symptoms. (Intermittent Shutdown at 20% and very erratic battery usage) Worked with an online rep, and they set me up with an appointment at a nearby Apple Store.

 

[kmpowell]

Is there a definitive answer for whether the 6s Plus is included in this or not?

In the UK at least, the plus isn't officially covered, but...

I booked an appointment at Regent Street with my 6S Plus (bought on launch day so certainly in the time frame for build problems) that's been shutting down at c30-40%. The chap said the Plus wasn't covered, but due to the numbers of people coming with with pluses he said he anticipated them to do a recall on them as well, but couldn't/wouldn't confirm.

I asked that given my handset was over a year old and out off warranty, where that left me. He said that because I bought it from Apple I was covered under consumer law. He said he could do some diagnostics and if there were battery issues identified he would replace the handset free of charge.

He hooked my iPhone up to the store wifi and then started a diagnosis process on my phone that gave results on his iPad. The results showed lots of unexpected shutdowns and battery problems. Without quibble he called a runner to get a replacement handset.

Job done.

 

[langis.elbasunu]

anyone with a cracked screen have any problems getting this fixed when you brought it in?

 

[Beezy253]

So, I had about the same experience yesterday. Here in Richmond, VA the Apple Store is probably one of the worst in the country when it comes to customer support (or lack of it).

Anyway, got to the store where my battery replacement had been set up only to be told they had no batteries. This was after a hinge argument with the Genius Bar check-in person telling me they would not change the battery without me turning off Find my Phone and restoring my phone.

After leaving the store I called Apple Support since they didn't even have a date as to when they would replace my battery. Found out they have no batteries available in their nationwide warehouses until Dec 20th. From there they will be shipped to stores based on store volume. So, don't expect to get your battery replacement anytime soon.

Ended up asking to speak with a manager, then another manager after the "Sr. Assoc" (really just an "ass") told me he had never heard of this battery replacement. The manager ended up sending me a new phone for free. If you complain about their process and not getting this replaced in a timely manner they will give you a new phone. The manager in the store even said they would do it but they didn't have any of my phone version in stock.

Main issue with all of this is the WORST process from Apple around all this and their lack of being proactive to the customer. They put ALL the work on the customer.

Anyway, as much of a pain as it will be to transfer phones at least it is better than waiting months for another battery to fix this annoying issue.

Good Luck!

Intersting about Batteries being OOS until late December.

My phone was Delivered to Apple/Checked in on Monday, but did not ship out the same day. (Apple is usually really good at shipping out same day)

I believe I have a call back set up for tomorrow, so I will express my concerns with stores being out of batteries, and ask for an ETA as i'm currently using a Motorola Razr..lol (long story short, I don't trust sticking my adaptor/sim into my jailbroken iPhone 4, and don't want to risk having to take the phone apart if it gets stuck).


Anyone else being told their Apple Retail stores are not able to get replacement batteries?
[doublepost=1480416212][/doublepost]Side note, I don't know if you guys remember when the 6s came out, and there was the drama about which chip you got, and if you got a Samsung or a TSMC chip, the phone I sent back to Apple with unexpected shut down issues was 100% a TSMC.