Apple Replaced 11 Million iPhone Batteries in 2018, Up From 1 to 2 Million

[wbrat]

I agree that battery replacement program had effect on sales. But the stability and responsiveness of iOS 12 on older devices had it as well. I'm surprised that Tim Cook did not mention that. I only hope that they won't jump to some crazy conclusions based on those observations...

And personally I believe that apart from higher prices of phones, also insanely growing prices of service (for example fixing phones with crashed screens) contribute to this year's sales failure - it is just more and more risky to go with the iPhone, as its maintenance costs are potentially huge.

 

[Ries]

My iPhone 6S Plus was shutting down and rebooting when the battery was low and the ambient temperature was very hot or very cold, until the update that "slowed down phones". Once I had installed that update, those issues stopped, but the phone ran slower. That's nothing to sue over.

How about trying to see it from the other side, your perfectly functioning phone is suddenly slow.

 

[chatin]

older devices with new batteries rock!

Users have economized on the devices they love.

 

[Abazigal]

So is forced obsolescence supposed to be a good or bad thing here? This forum keeps giving me mixed signals here.

 

[Wanted797]

Apples biggest mistake witih the whole performance management feature was being quiet about it and not giving users the option to turn it off to begin with. But they’d likely have been slammed for that too.

They wouldn’t have known the effect of the replacement program until after the holidays when all the new phones had launched and sales numbers came back.

I honestly think Apple had good intentions but screwed up with the implementation which ultimately screwed them over worse in the end.

And 11million is insane.

 

[Naaaaak]

So at most, 10M people opted for a new battery over a new phone. This doesn't explain all the lower iPhone sales.

 

[ksec]

Why this hyperbole? "absolutely NOTHING"? No one claimed that the revenue miss was directly connected to the replacement program, Tim Cook wrote that it was a contributor out of quite many others and surely several of those who replaced the battery chose not to upgrade their phone.

Sigh, And I wrote this before the line you quote.

Sigh, this pieces of news get spread and judging understanding and reading comprehension from the previous Qualcomm post a lot of people will think " OH NO, it was battery replacement that causes Apple's revenue drop."

 

[44267547]

I agree that battery replacement program had effect on sales. But the stability and responsiveness of iOS 12 on older devices had it as well. I'm surprised that Tim Cook did not mention that.

This all day. You are correct, iOS 12 and the battery replacement program affected upgrades, but the whole purpose of iOS 12 was to push longevity and stability, which helped older iPhone models performance, thus resulting in consumers to continue use the phone as they normally would, because they’re operating as normal. So either way, Apples intentions with iOS and the battery replacement program had a direct effect on upgrades, aside from the increased price points for the newest iPhones.

 

[dantastic]

I was trying to have my battery replaced in December. I could get appointments but would get cancelled. A 3rd party Authorised Service provider then told me that Apple were not sending them any batteries.

This was in December so I do believe that Apple themselves believe that the battery replacement program is evil and without it I would have bought a new phone.

 

[dilbert99]

Better to spend $1,000 on a new phone then $79 on a new battery? Odd decision.

His battery wouldn't have needed replacing after a year. But at $29 it was worth a punt, but not worth a punt at $79

 

[ImAnAgent]

Wow. I had my battery replaced (not by Apple) in November of 2017. My 6S+ was starting to drain randomly. One night, it went from 70$ to 15% in just 6 hrs while I was at work and I never got to use my phone the entire time. Apple ran a test on the phone and said the battery was good and would not replace it even though it's capacity was all over the place, 60%, 70% 85% and then back to 60% all in an hour.

I finally found someone who was local and came out to my house and replaced the battery for the same price Apple was charging which was I think $70. The phone still runs amazing just as if it were a genuine Apple battery so I don't regret it too much, it's just that Apple would never touch the phone today because of it and I can't really sell the phone because since it's not an Apple battery, the battery setting says service and has since iOS 11.

I don't use it anymore since I have an XS Max and still use my 8+ while in the car for music.

 

[SBlue1]

"We did it because we thought it was the right thing to do for our customers"

Well it was also the right thing for the environment because it kept a lot of devices from the landfills! A fine working machine which fails by one soldered or glued non replaceable component is not good for the planet Tim. *cough* MacBook Pro *cough*

 

[Nuvi]

So at most, 10M people opted for a new battery over a new phone. This doesn't explain all the lower iPhone sales.

I’m European iPhone X owner so I paid over 1300€ for my iPhone. That’s around $1500. There is no way I would have bought a new iPhone with or without battery replacement program. I used to do that but with current prices it just doesn’t make any sense. I remember when the first iPhone was around $400. Buying new one was no brainer for me but over $1500... that’s a different story altogether. Let’s put it this way, it would make more sense from productivity standpoint to upgrade my Macs every year than to upgrade the iPhone. That said, I see no point of doing that with my Macs either.

 

[The Game 161]

Because users took advantage of the cheap price for battery replacements. Easy to see here.

 

[Bacillus]

So is forced obsolescence supposed to be a good or bad thing here? This forum keeps giving me mixed signals here.

Whatever the verdict here, Cook lost in all instances:
- taking the blame & all negative publication around Throttlegate
- making batt replacement decision in wild panic, completely ignoring its effect on sales, causing a disastrous Q1 2019
- completely out of touch with the market and financial world via price hikes
- completely lost market outlook in China/India due to price levels
- collective effect: $450B loss in stock value

I leave it to you to assess the overall effect, plus or minus...

 

[Abazigal]

Whatever the verdict at MR, Cook lost in all instances:
- taking the blame & all negative publication around Throttlegate
- making the batt replacement decision in wild panic, causing a disastrous for Q1 2019
- collective effect: $450B loss in stock value

Shall we blame the loss in stock value of FAANG stocks on Apple’s battery replacement programme as well?

 

[emulajavi]

That only means 3 million less upgrades per quarter or 11 million less iPhone XS sold!


People are not buying new iPhones because new iPhones that people want (the flagship) cost $1000 instead of $650 which is what people spent when they were buying new iPhones before. It’s very simple!

 

[Mc0]

Better to spend $1,000 on a new phone then $79 on a new battery? Odd decision.

If we’re talking about US price, then I’d simply replace my battery. However, in other countries, battery replacement costs almost half the price of an old gen iphone. You can’t blame them if they want to upgrade their phone.

 

[Bacillus]

Shall we blame the loss in stock value of FAANG stocks on Apple’s battery replacement programme as well?

There’s a two-way correlation - with the biggest company leading the sentiment
If Exxon gets a hit, BP and Shell feel it too.
450B is one of the biggest losses FADANG ever had - collectively - even with MS included
Apart from other factors I mentioned

 

[MoreRumors?]

So Tim now wants to blame lower revenue on the battery replacement program too? I think the individual should have the option whether they want to upgrade to a new phone or hold onto their phone a little longer. Not everyone who owns an iPhone wants to upgrade every year. I did not get an email from Apple about this special battery replacement in late 2017/early 2018, however, I did get multiple emails from them about the trade-in upgrade for the XR and XS...amazing. I only found out about this battery replacement here at MR and who knows how many countless number of people may have chosen to change the battery and not buy a new iPhone if they had known about it. I would not be surprised if Tim will increase the price of the battery replacement in the near future.

 

[timber]

So at most, 10M people opted for a new battery over a new phone. This doesn't explain all the lower iPhone sales.

You can't really even come to that conclusion.

Be definition people that have their batteries exchanged are savvy and informed users.

Where all of them with a really bad battery or just taking advantage of that price? Of those extra 10 million what was the average status of the replaced batteries? If they kept an iPhone with a somewhat degraded battery would they even upgrade? Would they upgrade to an iPhone?

We would have to take a large leap of faith and assume that 10 million users didn't buy a 1000 USD phone so that Apple could loose something around 10B which is the the ballpark of their revised numbers (of course I know they don't blame all on the battery program).

 

[Ploki]

MAYBE someone should've sacrificed 0,5mm of thickness (of about lets say, protruding cameras?) for a larger battery

 

[Bacillus]

MAYBE someone should've sacrificed 0,5mm of thickness (of about lets say, protruding cameras?) for a larger battery

Hard to find him, in 8 Bentley’s...

 

[Spock]

I can’t imagine that Apple “lost” any money with the battery program. The battery should have cost $29 to begin with, it doesn’t cost Apple $79 to swap the battery and if it does they need to figure out a cheaper, easier way to replace iPhone batteries.

 

[Ploki]

I can’t imagine that Apple “lost” any money with the battery program. The battery should have cost $29 to begin with, it doesn’t cost Apple $79 to swap the battery and if it does they need to figure out a cheaper, easier way to replace iPhone batteries.

They're back to 60e here.
I said "no thanks".