The same with the price reductions MacRumors mentioned for the iPhone in the UK yesterday. I don't know why the rest of Europe doesn't exits? My comment about that was even removed as it "could lead to trolling"
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Apple Makes iPhone Battery Replacements Cheaper in the UK
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Getting my battery replaced on my 12 Pro has been such a ridiculously long saga. I had to wait a year for it to be eligible because it just hung out at the 80% without budging. Apple Store visits are just not convenient for me, and Best Buy has 1 tech for the whole region that goes from store to store, so when I finally caught up with him, found out Apple doesn't actually give them any parts, they have to be ordered for each repair, and I would have had to have left it with them for 5 days.
Now the new iPhones are out, so I should probably just upgrade at this point. I guess that's Apple's real motivation.
Now the new iPhones are out, so I should probably just upgrade at this point. I guess that's Apple's real motivation.
I would certainly hope Apple is also making a profit. IIRC, Apple GPM is around 40% now.
I don't think that's as much of an argument against the EU as you imply. The iPhone 5s is a decade old, battery replacement shouldn't still be $69, particularly when it was cheaper a few years back.
You can largely thank the stronger £/weaker USD for this and the lower iPhone prices.
Some of it is likely due to increased materials and labor costs, supply chain issues, etc.
It was also more expensive in the past. Before 2018, it cost $79 (USD) for an iPhone 5s battery replacement.
Really nice to see these prices lowered… more and more people could get by for a few more years getting iPhone and Apple Watch battery replaced.
The older the device, the more expensive it gets because parts run out and people who know how to change an iPhone 5S battery quit/retire/move on to newer phones.
In 2018 I took my daughters iPhone XS to an Apple Store in the UK, they accepted the phone for battery replacement after checking the battery health, opened the phone, found that there is a non Apple battery inside, refused to replace the battery because the phone has a non Apple battery . My daughter lived outside the UK where there is no Apple Store and had to replace the battery due to Apple Throttling policy at the time.
Alongside iPhone 15 price drops in the United Kingdom compared to last year's iPhone 14 models, Apple has also reduced the cost of its iPhone Battery Servicing program for several earlier models.
The biggest savings can be found for iPhone 14 models. Prior to Tuesday's iPhone 15 announcement, Apple charged £105 for iPhone 14 battery replacements, whereas now it lists £95, or a £10 reduction.
New batteries for iPhone XR through iPhone 13 models are now £85 compared to £89 previously, and new batteries for iPhone SE through iPhone X models are now £65 instead of £69.
Apple's new battery replacement charges for all models offered through its iPhone Battery Servicing program are as follows:
With the exception of the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple on Tuesday made UK prices of the newly announced iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models at least £100 cheaper across all configuration options than the equivalent iPhone 14 Pro models when they were launched last year. Similar reductions were also reported across other European countries.
- iPhone 14 models - £95
- iPhone 13 models - £85
- iPhone 12 models - £85
- iPhone 11 models - £85
- iPhone XS models - £85
- iPhone XR models - £85
- iPhone X - £85
- iPhone 8 - £65
- iPhone 7 - £65
- iPhone SE - £65
In addition, Apple cut the price of AirPods Max, from £549 down to £499, as well as updated second-generation AirPods Pro, from £249 down to £229.
In the US, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the only device to see a price increase, rising $100 to $1,199 because of Apple's decision to drop its 128GB storage option and make 256GB the new minimum storage configuration. Apple increased prices more aggressively for the phones in some other markets, including Canada and India.
Article Link: Apple Makes iPhone Battery Replacements Cheaper in the UK
Is this Apple policy still in place ? Does anybody know ?
Not sure what you mean? Apple or Apple certified resellers has swapped batteries for me ever since my 6S. Have they refused to replace batteries before that?
This might be a case where "love bombing" should have been in quotes or something.
Very good, I hadn't read it that way!
I'm waiting for the Apple battery replacement plans with Apple Care + w/Power. Get a new battery every 3 months to keep your device going at peak power until you upgrade in 12 months. That would be a great way to get more customers into Apple Stores during the year to see their greatest and newest products.
Most Iphone battery replacements cost £69 just a few months ago until it was raised to £89. Them lowering it to £85 is still a big difference compared to the spring when it was £69.
I had three iPhones apple refused to replace the battery pre battery-gate lawsuits. They said they would not replace it because the charge met their thresholds. I said who cares I’m paying they still refused. Two diffrent Apple Stores across three iPhones hardly isolated incidents
Fr.85 (about £76) in Switzerland. I don't know what it was earlier.
Our VAT is lower than the UK's (and Germany's) which tends to be responsible for the entire price difference.
Oh yeah, I forgot about that! IIRC, they were adamant you just buy a new phone! Not environmentally friendly either :\ and sort of makes some of the advantages having long support (5 years IIRC) less relevant! Last but not least, with how expensive flagship phones are, I'd want to have the option to replace the battery (even at your own expense)!
It is interesting that the EU has introduced this law for battery operated devices. Its purpose is to encourage the recycling of lithium by insisting manufacturers take responsibility for the life cycle of the battery.
It will have several effects I think.
1) We will get through more batteries if they are easier to swap out.
2) Swapping out regularly will use up more lithium as people will seek to replace them.
3) Easier swaps will lead to people keeping their phones for longer as they will always run like new.
4) People may not recycle their old battery if they can swap it out themselves
All in all not a bad idea. But certainly not without a lot of unintended consequences.
There are many things I'd like to see from this:
1) Ideally, certainty over battery quality and, crucially, safety. While getting official Apple batteries, it is fine. But as soon as they decide not to offer replacements, your only option is uncertain and possibly dodgy batteries.
2) The possibility of newer technologies being used in replacements. I mean, in AA, we have (or have had) zinc-carbon, alkaline, NiCad, NiMH, various lithium combos. Not all suit every device, but you can pretty much run a modest torch on any of them.
3) More commonality of form factor. Reducing the sheer number of different forms that are needed (compared against every device being different).
Agreed although I think #1 and #2 are sort of the same since more batteries = more lithium.
Hopefully not too many people will unnecessarily swap out batteries. That was probably the reason behind Apple’s below 80% capacity rule. Straight up refusal to replace the battery seems too strict, but they should definitely disincentivize unnecessary battery replacements somehow. Maybe charge more if the battery isn’t below 80%, maybe some kind of tiered system.
But hopefully as intended, the lower cost will incentivize people to replace their bad batteries instead of buying whole new phones.
Also hopefully, there will be incentives for people to recycle their old batteries.