Someone will use a cheap knockoff replacement battery, the iPhone goes up in smoke, Apple gets sued for not preventing knockoff batteries from working and the plaintiff wins. Absurd? Yes. Plausible? More than we would care to admit.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple on iPhone Battery Locking Issue: We Want to Make Sure Battery Replacement is Done Properly
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Someone will use a cheap knockoff replacement battery, the iPhone goes up in smoke, Apple gets sued for not preventing knockoff batteries from working and the plaintiff wins. Absurd? Yes. Plausible? More than we would care to admit.
I don't care what everyone else thinks. I believe this has consumer protection in mind.
Here's why:
• Most people do not realize that the replacement parts they buy online, or the parts used by the third-party repair shops are NOT Apple OEM parts. They absolutely assume that they are.
• Even if they do realize that the parts being used/sold are not Apple OEM parts, most people do not realize or understand the differences they might experience by using a non-Apple part. Third party parts vary very significantly in quality and performance. Some are very poor and some are nearly indistinguishable from genuine.
• Online and in person third-party repair shops can not be trusted to accurately disclose the above information. Don't believe me? Go to your local mall and ask the kiosk repair guy if the parts are geniune Apple parts. Chances are he will say "yes, or course" or something slightly more generic like "they're just as good."
To address the case of switching batteries from another phone:
Although the battery is in fact known to you to be genuine (because you literally moved it yourself), the phone does not know what you know. From the phone's point of view, it is impossible to tell a battery is genuine from the battery itself (no chain of custody / trust).
It's entirely possible for the authentication chip on any battery to be reverse engineered and identify itself as genuine, even though it is not (this has been done with lightning cables for years and has resulted in the "accessory not supported" checks becoming increasingly aggressive over time. It's also entirely possible for the on-battery circuitry to report false results for cycle count, etc.
The only way to know it is genuine and new is to "calibrate it" upon installation by an authorized technician (who as part of the process can also verify it's chain of custody from manufacturing to delivery). Even that step isn't a guarantee (if Apple's supply chain were to be compromised, this could still be a failed method).
Here's why:
• Most people do not realize that the replacement parts they buy online, or the parts used by the third-party repair shops are NOT Apple OEM parts. They absolutely assume that they are.
• Even if they do realize that the parts being used/sold are not Apple OEM parts, most people do not realize or understand the differences they might experience by using a non-Apple part. Third party parts vary very significantly in quality and performance. Some are very poor and some are nearly indistinguishable from genuine.
• Online and in person third-party repair shops can not be trusted to accurately disclose the above information. Don't believe me? Go to your local mall and ask the kiosk repair guy if the parts are geniune Apple parts. Chances are he will say "yes, or course" or something slightly more generic like "they're just as good."
To address the case of switching batteries from another phone:
Although the battery is in fact known to you to be genuine (because you literally moved it yourself), the phone does not know what you know. From the phone's point of view, it is impossible to tell a battery is genuine from the battery itself (no chain of custody / trust).
It's entirely possible for the authentication chip on any battery to be reverse engineered and identify itself as genuine, even though it is not (this has been done with lightning cables for years and has resulted in the "accessory not supported" checks becoming increasingly aggressive over time. It's also entirely possible for the on-battery circuitry to report false results for cycle count, etc.
The only way to know it is genuine and new is to "calibrate it" upon installation by an authorized technician (who as part of the process can also verify it's chain of custody from manufacturing to delivery). Even that step isn't a guarantee (if Apple's supply chain were to be compromised, this could still be a failed method).
Sure. I've yet to come across a company that's perfect. Why?
For the most part, I'm super pleased with all of the Apple products I own and the Apple services I use. I've had a few failures in the past (two cheese grater Mac Pros), and an early iPhone. But that's to be expected. It's how issues are handled that speaks to me. But that's not an issue of "disagreement."
Seems like there's something on your mind. Why not bring it to light?
Say what? You think your iPhone won't work while plugged in to a charger with a dead battery?
Even if that were true (which I highly doubt), did you miss the part where using a donor battery only causes a warning message and that your device still works with the new battery?
That's absolutely NOT the issue. Even a genuine Apple battery would not work if not properly 'reset'.
I agree with you that there’s not a spec/quality issue with a genuine Apple battery, but I’d still want to know if I got a used battery.
For non-OEM batteries, there’s certainly a question of the quality—and therefore safety—of the replacement battery. There are good third party batteries that are just as good as Apple’s, and may even be made by the same manufacturer. But there are crappy ones too, and they can be dangerous.
I think the phone’s owner has a right to know whether a genuine (but used) battery, or a third-party battery was used in the repair. I wish Apple would also do the same thing for displays; there are some low quality cheapies out there. #righttoknow
PS I think the warning could be better worded to be more informative and accurate. The statement Apple made is also uncharacteristically inartful.
Last edited:
I don't care about the warning so much as the word service. Service battery is what macbook shave said for years when an EOL/damaged/nonfunctioning battery is in the machine.
You cannot judge his sales ability unless you know what he’s really selling.
Agreed. Instead of “Service” it could just say “Serviced”. Or “Replaced”, “Unknown”, “Undetermined” or something similar.
I hate the fact that Apple are forcing this control on the consumer, especially since they take a premium price to do the job.
But saying that with all the bad batteries etc, at least when something goes wrong Apple most of the time, are willing to take the responsibility and repair what is broken.
However, there are a lot of very stupid people out there who would, given the opportunity buy cheap, nasty batteries etc listed on eBay etc. Batteries that are a danger, that those who make and sell them take no responsibility for. If they taken on flights and other restricted areas, could be dangerous to innocent people as well as their idiot owners. Who would want to be on a plane if a mobile phone burst into flames?
But Apple is a very greedy company. On the other hand and I have been using Apple for a long time, and I admit that I feel a lot safer using these products than those from other companies, so I guess I have to just bite the bullet and pay.
My resistance is that I don't upgrade as much as I normally would. I try to get the maximum life out of my Apple products.
But saying that with all the bad batteries etc, at least when something goes wrong Apple most of the time, are willing to take the responsibility and repair what is broken.
However, there are a lot of very stupid people out there who would, given the opportunity buy cheap, nasty batteries etc listed on eBay etc. Batteries that are a danger, that those who make and sell them take no responsibility for. If they taken on flights and other restricted areas, could be dangerous to innocent people as well as their idiot owners. Who would want to be on a plane if a mobile phone burst into flames?
But Apple is a very greedy company. On the other hand and I have been using Apple for a long time, and I admit that I feel a lot safer using these products than those from other companies, so I guess I have to just bite the bullet and pay.
My resistance is that I don't upgrade as much as I normally would. I try to get the maximum life out of my Apple products.
I don't think it is bad idea at all and I don't understand why so much people are against this. My friend went to unauthorized repair shop to replace battery in his iPhone 6 Plus and while they said they will put genuine battery there, they put Nokia knock-off. He wouldn't know that hadn't it been for the warning. So he went there, argued with them and finally they put in original Apple battery.
Laughable.
Apple have been taken to court multiple times over not accurately disclosing information. Also Apple use refurb parts when they repair your unit and will not disclose that on the repair bill so, "The only way to know it is genuine and new". That part is hogwash
Anyhow, can I have some figures/links to back up your claims in items 1, 2 and 3 please?
BMW used to put a big sticker under the hood of their cars that said something like "Protect your investment. Use only BMW genuine parts". While I'm sure part of it is that they wanted you buying parts from them for the revenue, but there's also the fact that if you put sub-par parts in this thing you're going to change how it works (and probably not for the better if it's lower cost your after). No one wants to buy a used car full of aftermarket parts - even if they are good quality surprisingly. Likewise, when it comes time to trade your iPhone in, Apple isn't going to want to buy it back and potentially give it to someone else after you've replaced their parts with parts of unknown quality.
The world has become too complex for most consumers and kids.
Small and forgetful minds think of Apple's greed, arrogance, control, power and the like.
Probably Apple just doesn't want to have a Samsung Note 7 FAA experience.
It would be easy for Apple haters (or competitors) to "repair" several iPhones with unproper batteries to eliminate total series of devices. Even laptops with batterie issues are FAA banned (as current for Apple's 2015 MacBook Pro).
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/08/13/macbook-pro-2015-flight-ban-united-states/
Apple is wise in providing its batteries with chips now.
Apple haters here around waste time and will never understand that because they are too dumb to realize contexts of the real world. They are applauded, but remain cut off from greater knowledge.
Last edited:
yeah, exaclty. This warning should not appear for other swapped genuine Apple batteries, and also if it is third party, the warning would be kind of okay-ish; however it should not suable the battery health information the users still need to diagnose his third party battery. Apple just became user-unfriendly and greedy.
Right to repair activist Rossman destroys Apple again
Last edited:
Absolutely plausible. Apple is damned if they do...or don’t, so they might as well do what they feel is in the best interests for all involved.
Or they don't wan't to adhere to Apple's crappy anti-consumer policies when it comes to repairs.
That's your choice
[doublepost=1565868181][/doublepost]
Fine - the phone states "I've detected a 3rd party battery ... you're on your own" - please aknowledge
My concern is not just the “Service” message but the fact that Apple now is explicitly treating non-Apple-replaced batteries differently in iOS. What next? Will they secretly only charge those batteries to 60% and then let the user struggle with reduced battery life? Then when it is discovered, will they claim they did it in the spirit of protecting the user from the risk of overcharging unsafe batteries? Apple set a bad precedent with the throttling mess and TouchId stuff and is now “doubling-down” on this bad behavior.
Sadly, he's not. My dad was once subpoenaed by General Motors to testify as to the original condition of a fleet truck that they had purchased, used, and sold at auction. The subsequent purchaser had installed an aftermarket dually conversion on the truck, but not appropriately increased the braking capacity or increased the axel size. That person then had a wreck that killed him, his wife, and their small child. The official accident report identified brake failure at the rear axel as the cause. Their family sued General Motors for liability even though the aftermarket modification was not done by GM or using GM parts. That sort of crazy litigation happens all the time. Lawsuits always target the person with the deepest pockets, and no one has deeper pockets than Apple.