Apple refuses to replace Series 4 Battery

[TooMuchPhone]

The Series 4 watch tested today at 90% with well over 800 cycles. They agree it doesn’t make sense but wouldn’t put in a repair. Instead that had me unpair the watch and are making me waste another few hours in a follow-up appointment to see if the test comes back accurately this time.

Apple has no incentive to fix this faulty battery test because for $100 they need to send a new watch. What a waste of time / horrible customer service. They call themselves an environmental company but suggested buying a new watch (no discount).

 

[jz0309]

The Series 4 watch tested today at 90% with well over 800 cycles. They agree it doesn’t make sense but wouldn’t put in a repair. Instead that had me unpair the watch and are making me waste another few hours in a follow-up appointment to see if the test comes back accurately this time.

Apple has no incentive to fix this faulty battery test because for $100 they need to send a new watch. What a waste of time / horrible customer service. They call themselves an environmental company but suggested buying a new watch (no discount).

who tested this?
Apple's policy has always been that the battery health needs to be below 80%, as they do not replace the battery but give you a refurb watch instead.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

It's clearly stated in there battery service T&C.. If it's not under 80% using their equipment, you don't qualify for a replacement. What does the battery capacity show in the watches battery settings?

 

[TooMuchPhone]

It's clearly stated in there battery service T&C.. If it's not under 80% using their equipment, you don't qualify for a replacement. What does the battery capacity show in the watches battery settings? 90 - Apple Store admits its a false reading. not possible with so many cycles - this is a scam to get people to throw away and buy new

90% - ***Apple Store admits it’s a false reading*** - that their system has trouble with older watches. The result is Not possible with so many cycles - this is a scam to get people to throw away and buy new - Very environmental.

 

[TooMuchPhone]

who tested this?
Apple's policy has always been that the battery health needs to be below 80%, as they do not replace the battery but give you a refurb watch instead.

The Apple Store tested it and agreed it is a false reading on the 6.5 years old watch. Yes they give a basically new watch - this is why no one cares to fix the obviously faulty test on old (but not vintage) watches

 

[jz0309]

The Apple Store tested it and agreed it is a false reading on the 6.5 years old watch. Yes they give a basically new watch - this is why no one cares to fix the obviously faulty test on old (but not vintage) watches

And from your original post it certainly seems that they asked to un-pair/re-pair and re-run the test - did I read that right?
So they are trying to help. Await that outcome and then report back here please.

Old(er) watches need battery recalibration from time to time, that’s been discussed here.

 

[TooMuchPhone]

And from your original post it certainly seems that they asked to un-pair/re-pair and re-run the test - did I read that right?
So they are trying to help. Await that outcome and then report back here please.

Old(er) watches need battery recalibration from time to time, that’s been discussed here.

You think this is proper customer service to have to go to another appointment with no promise of doing anything for me if it still says 90? A manager should have fixed this on the spot - not make me jump through hoops.

The calibration is different from the health reading. This scamneeds to be exposed. We can’t replace your battery because our test says you’re not eligible - and yes our test is not accurate in your case.
Yes I will report back.

edit- the unpairing was done in store - test came back 90. No this isn’t helpful.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

90% - ***Apple Store admits it’s a false reading*** - that their system has trouble with older watches. The result is Not possible with so many cycles - this is a scam to get people to throw away and buy new - Very environmental.

Well I just had my S6 battery serviced (replaced with a remanufactured watch) under AppleCare+ free of charge. The watch showed 79% and had the "service battery" notification displayed. They confirmed it with their diagnostic equipment and I had the replacement 3 days later.. I think your particular incident isn't common and nothing nefarious is happening. Has the watch shown any signs of a degraded battery such as shutting off unexpectedly or having to charge it multiple times a day?

 

[JonathanX64]

The Series 4 watch tested today at 90% with well over 800 cycles. They agree it doesn’t make sense but wouldn’t put in a repair. Instead that had me unpair the watch and are making me waste another few hours in a follow-up appointment to see if the test comes back accurately this time.

Apple has no incentive to fix this faulty battery test because for $100 they need to send a new watch. What a waste of time / horrible customer service. They call themselves an environmental company but suggested buying a new watch (no discount).

Sometimes, it's best not to think too much about some of the stuff in your life.

Does the watch hold charge for one day? Cool, then keep on using it until you have an urge to greet yourself with a newer one.

Spend your time with family and loved ones, or being focused on your personal projects / being productive. Not on this.

 

[TooMuchPhone]

Well I just had my S6 battery serviced (replaced with a remanufactured watch) under AppleCare+ free of charge. The watch showed 79% and had the "service battery" notification displayed. They confirmed it with their diagnostic equipment and I had the replacement 3 days later.. I think your particular incident isn't common and nothing nefarious is happening. Has the watch shown any signs of a degraded battery such as shutting off unexpectedly or having to charge it multiple times a day?

Yes - it shuts down itself or goes into low power mode after an hour some days (With most features like heart rate turned off)

i think service is different for apple care - i had a great experience with an iPad replacement for a battery issue.

 

[TooMuchPhone]

Sometimes, it's best not to think too much about some of the stuff in your life.

Does the watch hold charge for one day? Cool, then keep on using it until you have an urge to greet yourself with a newer one.

Spend your time with family and loved ones, or being focused on your personal projects / being productive. Not on this.

No it went into low power mode today after 1 hour (most features like heart rate turned off).

Yes it makes sense to complain about these issues - plenty of time for other things - but being lectured about being an environmental company and then saying to buy a new watch is absolutely disgusting.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Yes - it shuts down itself or goes into low power mode after an hour some days (With most features like heart rate turned off)

i think service is different for apple care - i had a great experience with an iPad replacement for a battery issue.

Well that is a problem. I hope you can get it sorted out. I would keep trying to escalate the issue and see if you can find someone willing to authorize the replacement..

 

[TooMuchPhone]

Well that is a problem. I hope you can get it sorted out. I would keep trying to escalate the issue and see if you can find someone willing to authorize the replacement..

I’ll report back after the follow-up appointment next week. If they don’t I’m going to write this up in detail and send to all the tech blogs and environmental organizations that work with Apple.


Edit- I now get why the EU wants consumer choice in watch brands that work with the iPhone.

 

[Fraserh02]

Are you trying to claim through Apple care or are you willing to pay the replacement cost? I know from experience that they won’t replaced via Apple care if it’s 80% of above, but I also know they will happily do this above 80% if you’re willing to pay the battery replacement fee.

 

[TooMuchPhone]

Are you trying to claim through Apple care or are you willing to pay the replacement cost? I know from experience that they won’t replaced via Apple care if it’s 80% of above, but I also know they will happily do this above 80% if you’re willing to pay the battery replacement fee.

Happy to pay the fee- they won’t do it because of the false 90% reading on the 6.5 year old watch.

 

[henry72]

No it went into low power mode today after 1 hour (most features like heart rate turned off).

Yes it makes sense to complain about these issues - plenty of time for other things - but being lectured about being an environmental company and then saying to buy a new watch is absolutely disgusting.

If you’ve set up the watch as new and the issue persists, it’s clear that the problem lies with the battery.

Does the battery percentage drop quickly?

 

[TooMuchPhone]

If you’ve set up the watch as new and the issue persists, it’s clear that the problem lies with the battery.

Does the battery percentage drop quickly?

Yes - after leaving the store where i did the reset the level dropped very quickly and the watch did a restart on its own. All behavior of a very small battery that has been used for 6.5 years as the Apple Store admitted today. They just claim they can’t send it in if it is not below 79% from their testing. I know this is not true at least with Apple care (the watch is not under Apple care) as they swapped my iPad Pro when they measured it at 80% (I brought it to them after iPad system diagnostics [I ran myself by pushing all buttons and extracting the logs] said 79% and they went with that and I got a “new” one on the spot ).

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

If they don’t I’m going to write this up in detail and send to all the tech blogs and environmental organizations that work with Apple.

I would assume they get random warranty complaints daily, and a six year old out of warranty Watch won’t be particularly interesting to any tech blogs or environmental groups.
I hope you are able to get your battery replacement, but in all honesty even a new battery probably won’t help you very much.
The series 4 can’t even get the latest version of watchOS and is likely to be added to Apple’s vintage products list any day now given that it hasn’t been sold new since 2019.
Even with a battery replacement, it’s likely it’s final version of watchOS is already going to force the thing into mediocre battery life no matter what, plus even though it hasn’t happened yet it is quite possible that eventually with iOS 19 and beyond features will simply just start breaking between your phone and watch.

If you want honest advice, do not pay for a battery replacement of a device that can’t even receive the latest software updates. It is absolutely not worth the money, and if you are looking to punish Apple, giving them money for a battery replacement of a device and they don’t even provide software updates for anymore is not the way to do it.
You are much better off taking that $100 or whatever it is and looking for a used Series 7 or eight online.
Paying for a battery replacement on the series 4 in almost 2025 is basically the equivalent of spending big money on an Intel MacBook, even if the price isn’t terrible it is just simply not worth it.

 

[TooMuchPhone]

I would assume they get random warranty complaints daily, and a six year old out of warranty Watch won’t be particularly interesting to any tech blogs or environmental groups.
I hope you are able to get your battery replacement, but in all honesty even a new battery probably won’t help you very much.
The series 4 can’t even get the latest version of watchOS and is likely to be added to Apple’s vintage products list any day now given that it hasn’t been sold new since 2019.
Even with a battery replacement, it’s likely it’s final version of watchOS is already going to force the thing into mediocre battery life no matter what, plus even though it hasn’t happened yet it is quite possible that eventually with iOS 19 and beyond features will simply just start breaking between your phone and watch.

If you want honest advice, do not pay for a battery replacement of a device that can’t even receive the latest software updates. It is absolutely not worth the money, and if you are looking to punish Apple, giving them money for a battery replacement of a device and they don’t even provide software updates for anymore is not the way to do it.
You are much better off taking that $100 or whatever it is and looking for a used Series 7 or eight.

I like my watch - I got ss and expected to be able to do a battery replacement and keep it for 10 years or so. I just need it for notifications - could care less about their garbage uninspired updates.

An environment group that wants an excuse to make a fuss may latch on to this. They won’t like the disposable aspect of a watch that simply needs a battery. $100 is fine for another 5 years - and no, Apple does not make much money on the battery. I also think the EU regulatory agency might be interested as they are looking to pass legislation that forces Apple to work with other smart watch brands. Can I get traction on this (assuming they don’t make it right night week) don’t know but worth trying as I believe these items should be supported - at least a battery. I doubt they could get away with this kind of service in Europe that has more laws to protect the consumer.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Are you trying to claim through Apple care or are you willing to pay the replacement cost? I know from experience that they won’t replaced via Apple care if it’s 80% of above, but I also know they will happily do this above 80% if you’re willing to pay the battery replacement fee.

They will not do a replacement unless it reads 79% or lower. They don't replace the battery, they give you a remanufactured "like new" watch and this is the reason they are so strict about the service. They do the same exact thing with iPad battery replacement. They don't actually replace the battery, you get a replacement device.. This forum has plenty of threads about being refused battery service because the watch is reading above 80% whether self pay or under warranty

 

[Rskittles]

The Series 4 watch tested today at 90% with well over 800 cycles. They agree it doesn’t make sense but wouldn’t put in a repair. Instead that had me unpair the watch and are making me waste another few hours in a follow-up appointment to see if the test comes back accurately this time.

Apple has no incentive to fix this faulty battery test because for $100 they need to send a new watch. What a waste of time / horrible customer service. They call themselves an environmental company but suggested buying a new watch (no discount).

Kinda think you need to chill out - Apple 4 watch …. The watch peaked at the 6th gen - the 10 is perfect upgrade from the 4 ! It’s time …. Tech dies - we are imperfect beings trying to make perfect product. The watch gets sent for testing and you get another 4. Yeah tech is expensive but things break. Get AppleCare on the new watch and move on ! Woof so angry ! For a series 4 … sipping tea

 

[TooMuchPhone]

They will not do a replacement unless it reads 79% or lower. They don't replace the battery, they give you a remanufactured "like new" watch and this is the reason they are so strict about the service. They do the same exact thing with iPad battery replacement. They don't actually replace the battery, you get a replacement device.. This forum has plenty of threads about being refused battery service because the watch is reading above 80% whether self pay or under warranty

Right - they won’t do it. But the fact that they admitted in-store today that there is no way that the test was accurate for my old watch is the issue. A manager should be able to use common sense and override the system.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I like my watch - I got ss and expected to be able to do a battery replacement and keep it for 10 years or so. I just need it for notifications - could care less about their garbage uninspired updates.

An environment group that wants an excuse to make a fuss may latch on to this. They won’t like the disposable aspect of a watch that simply needs a battery. $100 is fine for another 5 years - and no, Apple does not make much money on the battery. I also think the EU regulatory agency might be interested as they are looking to pass legislation that forces Apple to work with other smart watch brands. Can I get traction on this (assuming they don’t make it right night week) don’t know but worth trying as I believe these items should be supported - at least a battery. I doubt they could get away with this kind of service in Europe that has more laws to protect the consumer.

OK, but even with a $100 battery replacement, your battery life isn’t going to still be absolutely nowhere close to what it was in 2018.
It’s unfortunate, but if I were you I’d spend my money elsewhere.
As another commenter said, even if they agreed to replace your battery in your watch, they don’t actually replace the battery. They just give you a refurbished unit.
You can find used Series 7s for around $150, that’s a significantly better investment.
I agree that these things should at least last 10 years, but they don’t.
Again, I wish you luck but please consider other options for a product that’s already out of date that really isn’t worth syncing any money into. Smart wearables, especially ones that are already six years old, are not known for endless support.
Even the $10,000 solid gold Apple Watch released in 2015 only received three years of support and the hardware support was discontinued at the same time as all of the other Series 0s.

And this goes for all of Apple’s wearable products, if you’re looking for something that’s going to last upwards of decades stay far away.

 

[gusping]

who tested this?
Apple's policy has always been that the battery health needs to be below 80%, as they do not replace the battery but give you a refurb watch instead.

I question Apple’s methods tbh. My 2018 iPad Pro has terrible battery life and they refuse to admit it’s below 80% capacity and replace the battery. It’s absolutely knackered. It’s a shame as the device is still fantastic otherwise. It’s clearly not in their interest, nor do they need to be transparent about how they measure it. Anyway, i will tuff it out.

 

[TooMuchPhone]

OK, but even with a $100 battery replacement, your battery life isn’t going to still be absolutely nowhere close to what it was in 2018.
It’s unfortunate, but if I were you I’d spend my money elsewhere.
As another commenter said, even if they agreed to replace your battery in your watch, they don’t actually replace the battery. They just give you a refurbished unit.
You can find used Series 7s for around $150, that’s a significantly better investment.
I agree that these things should at least last 10 years, but they don’t.
Again, I wish you luck but please consider other options for a product that’s already out of date that really isn’t worth syncing any money into. Smart wearables, especially ones that are already six years old, are not known for endless support.
Even the $10,000 solid gold Apple Watch released in 2015 only received three years of support and the hardware support was discontinued at the same time as all of the other Series 0s.

And this goes for all of Apple’s wearable products, if you’re looking for something that’s going to last upwards of decades stay far away.

I brought up the gold watch today to the “genius”. - I remembered telling a customer who asked my opinion when I was buying my Apple Watch (series 0) to stay clear of the gold because it will be obsolete in 2 years - he agreed and also got the cheapest one.

I do like the ss because of the scratch resistance - I doubt I can get a used ss for $150 - then of course it would need to have a new battery….

I disagree that a new battery won’t give me enough daily hours - I use it for notifications, Apple Music, triggering shortcuts and focus modes - should be fine for years to come with a new battery. As you said before, they’ve never broken compatibility with new iOS versions so I think $100 for a used but “certified” watch is a very good deal in my case.