iPhone 14 Pro Apple Refused to Replace Battery at 81% with One Day Left on AppleCare

[SegNerd]

I purchased iPhone 14 Pro at launch with AppleCare, and my AppleCare plan expires tomorrow. My battery life has been much shorter lately, and according to the Settings app, its current health is 81%. I took it to the Apple Store today and they said the plan won't cover replacement if it's over 80%, even though I only have one day left and it's currently at 81%. I have to say, I am quite disappointed with this experience.

Yes, I can (and probably will have to) extend my AppleCare with monthly payments (so yet another expense). Yes, Apple did not technically violate any law or policy. But many businesses give their employees leeway to bend policies by a lot more than 1% if there is a valid reason to help the customer. Isn't Apple supposed to be the kind of company that cares more about its customers than about a tiny technicality? Isn't the purpose of AppleCare to have a bit of a "safety net"?

And think about this for a moment: iPhones know their expiration date for AppleCare (it is listed in Settings under Coverage). Apple just settled a lawsuit for intentionally slowing down older devices. Is it possible that Apple hardcoded it to stay at 81% until the plan expires? I sure did try to wear down the battery as much as possible in the days leading up to the genius appointment.

I concede that, currently, I have no proof that Apple has done anything wrong. But this sure makes me feel less valued as a customer. I never attempted to use my AppleCare before today, so that means my original purchase of the two-year plan was a complete waste of money.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Insurance is by design a waste of money, until you need it.

 

[ukms]

I purchased iPhone 14 Pro at launch with AppleCare, and my AppleCare plan expires tomorrow. My battery life has been much shorter lately, and according to the Settings app, its current health is 81%. I took it to the Apple Store today and they said the plan won't cover replacement if it's over 80%, even though I only have one day left and it's currently at 81%. I have to say, I am quite disappointed with this experience.

Yes, I can (and probably will have to) extend my AppleCare with monthly payments (so yet another expense). Yes, Apple did not technically violate any law or policy. But many businesses give their employees leeway to bend policies by a lot more than 1% if there is a valid reason to help the customer. Isn't Apple supposed to be the kind of company that cares more about its customers than about a tiny technicality? Isn't the purpose of AppleCare to have a bit of a "safety net"?

And think about this for a moment: iPhones know their expiration date for AppleCare (it is listed in Settings under Coverage). Apple just settled a lawsuit for intentionally slowing down older devices. Is it possible that Apple hardcoded it to stay at 81% until the plan expires? I sure did try to wear down the battery as much as possible in the days leading up to the genius appointment.

I concede that, currently, I have no proof that Apple has done anything wrong. But this sure makes me feel less valued as a customer. I never attempted to use my AppleCare before today, so that means my original purchase of the two-year plan was a complete waste of money.

So …. At what point should they refuse to replace ? 82 83 84 ? Where do they draw the line ? If it’s 80 it’s 80 as harsh as it sounds.

 

[cousintim]

Rules are rules.

 

[chanerz]

79%

 

[russell_314]

I purchased iPhone 14 Pro at launch with AppleCare, and my AppleCare plan expires tomorrow. My battery life has been much shorter lately, and according to the Settings app, its current health is 81%. I took it to the Apple Store today and they said the plan won't cover replacement if it's over 80%, even though I only have one day left and it's currently at 81%. I have to say, I am quite disappointed with this experience.

Apple will replace it if it drops below 80%. That’s clearly stated in the agreement that you agreed to. Your disappointment is based on unreasonable expectations. If your battery was at 79% and they said no then you would have a reason to be disappointed. We’ve all been guilty of setting ourselves up for disappointment in this way.

Yes, I can (and probably will have to) extend my AppleCare with monthly payments (so yet another expense). Yes, Apple did not technically violate any law or policy. But many businesses give their employees leeway to bend policies by a lot more than 1% if there is a valid reason to help the customer. Isn't Apple supposed to be the kind of company that cares more about its customers than about a tiny technicality? Isn't the purpose of AppleCare to have a bit of a "safety net"?

I’m sure they give employees leeway on certain things, but they may or may not give them leeway way on this. Every company has hard fast rules about certain things and this might be one. It would be interesting if someone leaked out documents saying what employees are allowed to do, but I’m sure Apple would not be happy about that.

And think about this for a moment: iPhones know their expiration date for AppleCare (it is listed in Settings under Coverage). Apple just settled a lawsuit for intentionally slowing down older devices. Is it possible that Apple hardcoded it to stay at 81% until the plan expires? I sure did try to wear down the battery as much as possible in the days leading up to the genius appointment.

That’s an interesting conspiracy theory, but I seriously doubt it. Some Apple employee would snitch them out in a heartbeat because that information would be worth a large sum of money. Yes Apple was slowing down older devices to prevent them from crashing. They should’ve been more open about it and they paid for that. I think it’s a bit silly to purposely damage your device so you can make an AppleCare claim. I’m not saying I haven’t thought about smashing my phone on the last day of AppleCare, but I haven’t done it 😂

I concede that, currently, I have no proof that Apple has done anything wrong. But this sure makes me feel less valued as a customer. I never attempted to use my AppleCare before today, so that means my original purchase of the two-year plan was a complete waste of money.

You have no proof that Apple did anything wrong because they didn’t do anything wrong. They held up to their agreement. Your feelings are based on unreasonable expectations. I’ve used AppleCare multiple times and they took care of the problem.

As to it was a waste of money that is a good subject though. AppleCare is a form of insurance like the insurance you have on your car. If you didn’t get into an accident all year, but you paid $2000 for automobile insurance was that a waste of money? No because if you had got into an accident, it could’ve cost you more than you could afford.

Insurance on something like a phone may not make sense unless you feel you’re really at high risk. Most people can afford $1000 for a new phone if they drop it. If you haven’t broken a phone in the past three years that’s a good sign that you’re not at high risk. If you’re only getting AppleCare to replace the battery if it wears down then yes, I’d say that’s a big waste of money.

 

[Apple_Robert]

To sum up: You are mad at Apple for adhering to terms you agreed to when you paid the extended care. And because Apple did that, you didn’t get your battery replacement at the expense of Apple.

Reconsider your thinking. It is really skewed in the wrong direction.

 

[Adora]

Is it expired tomorrow or by the end of tomorrow? And when is tomorrow for you?

Maybe you can get it to or under(?) 80% before it expires because you needed to run many heavy benchmarks to compare it with the new ones soon.

 

[Isamilis]

I can understand OP concern. Of course, we expect we are dealing with people, not a machine. Also, goodwill from Apple staff can be a marketing too for their good service and customer focus. We don’t know the OP situation, but probably he/she can try one more time, talk to different staff.

 

[throAU]

I purchased iPhone 14 Pro at launch with AppleCare, and my AppleCare plan expires tomorrow. My battery life has been much shorter lately, and according to the Settings app, its current health is 81%. I took it to the Apple Store today and they said the plan won't cover replacement if it's over 80%, even though I only have one day left and it's currently at 81%. I have to say, I am quite disappointed with this experience.

Your phone is within spec, within the AppleCare period - what do you expect? What cutoff?

There has to be a line somewhere, and the line is 80%, not 81%. If you want a new battery installed it isn't expensive?

 

[azhava]

I don't see anything to be disappointed about. The spec is 80%, it's written in black and white, and it's something we all know exists. I'd be disappointed if my phone was at 79% and they told me to go pound sand because that was close enough to 80% to still be considered good, but 81% > 80%, and 80% is the threshold.

If you make an exception to the rule for one person you have to make an exception to the rule for everybody, and now you don't have a rule anymore.

 

[dannyyankou]

Well they're following the policy by the book. And even if your battery did reach 80%, it has to be below that. 79% or lower. If not, you have to pay up.

 

[Kottu]

I had Apple care for my iPhone 12PM. Never had a use for it. So, when I bought 15PM, I chose not to. My home insurance covers it well.

 

[ukms]

I had Apple care for my iPhone 12PM. Never had a use for it. So, when I bought 15PM, I chose not to. My home insurance covers it well.

I know a lot of people who use home insurance or other third party insurance which is great if it covers. The only thing you do lose is the simplicity of walking into an Apple Store (or making a Genius Bar appt) and they often deal with it all there and then or at least quite quickly, using your home insurance generally you will need to pay and claim (not always). You also have cover for multi events in a year (which some home insurers may not give you). There is also the big consideration that making a claim on home insurance can impact your insurance cost the following year(s) so could be a false economy. I pay my AC monthly and stop the payments when I sell the phone after 12 months.

 

[SoYoung]

I can understand the OP concern. Apple knows there's almost no chance at all your battery will decrease below 80% in 2 years but if you use your phone a lot, it will be around that mark when it comes to renew it. Plus, it's a fact since the iPhone 14, Apple products battery are extremely bad when it comes to battery health decrease.

I think AppleCare isn't worth it if you take care of your devices and only pay when you need a battery replacement, it will be cheaper. Most credit card nowadays have insurance for smartphone purchases.

 

[Abstract]

Your battery health is 2% above replacement level (79% or below).

Can’t fault Apple for that. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Besides, to get a replacement, the employee still need to run diagnostics tests on your phone, and those results get sent alongside your case for a battery replacement.

Imagine being an employee who has to justify this decision with their manager, just because an entitled customer felt that they deserved a new battery for free.

 

[smoking monkey]

you can opt to continue to pay AC per month. If the battery costs around 100 bucks to replace, you can get Apple care for 2 months, run the battery down to 79 and then get it swapped out and save a little cash and cancel AppleCare after that.

 

[Nozuka]

Never bought AppleCare for any product... and also never needed it.
I saved so much money over the years , that even if i have to pay for a repair or something myself someday, it will never be as much as i saved.

 

[JPack]

Better to have put that money towards a battery replacement rather than AppleCare.

 

[teohyc]

Yeah, disappointing experience.

Stop buying their phones. That will show Apple who's the boss.

 

[JPack]

Buying AppleCare is like going into a casino and expecting to win. They’ve already done the math.

Unless you have a severe case of butterfingers and refuse to use a decent multi-layer case, you’re likely better off without extended warranty.

 

[Adora]

Never bought AppleCare for any product... and also never needed it.
I saved so much money over the years , that even if i have to pay for a repair or something myself someday, it will never be as much as i saved.

Same for me. The only thing that got really damaged too early was my 2017 MBP in 2022. Can I buy Apple Care for that long and what would it cost? I just asked Apple what a repair including new battery would cost. It's 779€. I have no choice what to repair. It will be just a new device. Any experience if you get something newer for those now and what it could be?

 

[eduardodfj]

While I share other people’s opinions about the fact that the battery should be below 80%, I also wonder how the number is calculated. Phones and watches have a tendency to slow their degradation when they approach that magic number.

 

[xxFoxtail]

Yeah my AC+ expires today too, with 85% capacity left. Since January, that number just kind of stayed there, didn’t drain at all. Was hoping to get my battery replaced before today, but it is what it is I suppose. I won't be renewing with monthly payments. I'll just pay the $70 or whatever it is for a new battery when the time comes.

 

[JDP1970]

While I share other people’s opinions about the fact that the battery should be below 80%, I also wonder how the number is calculated. Phones and watches have a tendency to slow their degradation when they approach that magic number.

At this time last year my 13PM was at 83% - it's still at 83% today.