Apple to Offer $29 iPhone Battery Replacements, More Battery Health Info in iOS

[_Refurbished_]

Interesting.

You think I’m defending Apple because I’m not bashing them?

I’m just discussing the possible logic behind apples methods.

I do believe there are some decisions Apple makes to entice customers to buy certain products and features Apple purposely doesn’t enable(iPhone X gestures on all iPhones) but I don’t think the throttling “issue” isn’t one of them.

Constant crashing would make me want to upgrade more than a slow but functional and stable phone would.

Defending may have been the wrong word. It’s being spun that Apple is guarding us, when I believe Apple simply doesn’t want to deal with iPhones on anything but its current OS. They know it hurts the consumer by not offering a choice, but they don’t care as it saves them money and energy to deny older software. It’s user hostile, but it’s their way or the highway.

 

[alleggerita]

Who cares, one thing you don't get out of is paying for it. I could pay 1 cent up front and 1 dollar a year for the next thousand years. I still have to pay for that phone.

It’s not about how much you pay eventually. I’m not stupid to think that by paying instalment I’ll end up paying lesser in the end. It’s about the option to spread out the payment over a year or two for people who may not have that much upfront cash and still be able to own the latest smartphone and that makes it more likely for consumers to get it.

 

[H2SO4]

Why does everyone think that Apple has been doing this "for years"? They introduced this "feature" with ios 10.2.1. Meaning that before this, no CPUs were underclocked because of the battery. Any slow iphones before that update were slow just because they didn't bother too much to optimize the os for those old iphones.

Can I just ask why you're so sure of that?

 

[alleggerita]

I'm not sure why people and latching on to the 'we all know lithium ion degrades' thing. Lead acid batteries degrade too, as do nickel metal hydride items. What is the point being made here pls?

Which means when the battery gets older, it’s more likely for the phone to start shutting down at random. If everyone understood this, they would have been more receptive to how Apple have tried to mitigate it with throttling.

I can understand if people here are upset Apple wasn’t transparent enough, but I can’t understand why so many here would choose NOT to have this throttling effect that’s helping them not having random shutdowns.

Any smartphones using lithium-ion battery have this issues, I’m not sure how the other manufacturers are handling it, but I sure do see tons of reports of 1-3 years old smartphones shutting down for no reason be it because of worn out batteries or corrupted softwares. Doesn’t seem like the other manufacturers are doing a lot.

 

[amegicfox]

I seriously don’t see this argument here. They aren’t forcing you to replace your battery if you can live with it being slower than when brand new. If they were to give you a choice, you would like a phone that’s blazing fast but shuts down every now and then for no good reason? That’s bizarre.

My phone was working perfectly and after the update my phone is now slow.
It wasn't slow before the update.

The same happened with the latest Apple TV update.
Airplay audio of my MacBook Air crackles after Apple latest AppleTV update.

We must have the right on our phones to reverse the OS to the previous version.

 

[jo.Lo]

wow great, for most people outside of the U.S. the way to the next Apple Store or "authorized reseller" who can perform the battery replacement is more expensive than 79 whatever currency.
Also, most people won't do that because they don't know about it (or don't understand what's going on).
The only way to offer a customer-friendly solution for this would be an update removing the throttle. Does anyone really care about the battery having 80% and "maybe" having one shutdown a year?

 

[isserley]

(...) The throttling mode also does not engage until the battery capacity is below 80%.

Respectfully: bul**hit.

My 6s 128GB’s battery is at 82% of original battery capacity.
1400 mAh of 1715.

When properly charged, the phone is throttled down to 1500MHz from 1800MHz.
It usually is clocked at 1200MHz
When getting below 30% battery level, it gets clocked down to 900MHz and sometimes even 600, respectively.

 

[H2SO4]

Which means when the battery gets older, it’s more likely for the phone to start shutting down at random. If everyone understood this, they would have been more receptive to how Apple have tried to mitigate it with throttling.

I can understand if people here are upset Apple wasn’t transparent enough, but I can’t understand why so many here would choose NOT to have this throttling effect that’s helping them not having random shutdowns.

I'm not sure that peole don't understand that. Even less savvy people know that as a battery ages, there are problems.
You know, the remote or mouse operation gets spotty, torch switches off but back on again if you leave it a moment, car takes longer to start etc. etc.
The throttling effect masked a bad battery and often by the time the batter was officially deemed a failure the warranty had expired.

 

[jdsingle]

What annoys me about this and other things like it is that it sets the precedent that an uninformed public can develop an "outcry" over anything get a result out of Apple. Real shame. The public didn't deserve this level of compromise from Apple. Intelligent CPU management of a device powered by lithium-ion battery is expected and appropriate, and really no one's business besides the engineers.

I have to say I'm in agreement here. I've noticed a degradation in performance in my 6s (figured it was just iOS11). I don't think that a power management system that retards performance to prolong battery life qualifies as me suffering harm. Would it be nice to know/be able to turn off? Yes. Do I deserve something for it? No.

 

[alleggerita]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/co...ld_phones/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=top_post

Example of how other manufacturers aren’t doing anything about it and how Apple at least tried (albeit sneakily).

 

[pika2000]

Which means when the battery gets older, it’s more likely for the phone to start shutting down at random. If everyone understood this, they would have been more receptive to how Apple have tried to mitigate it with throttling.

I can understand if people here are upset Apple wasn’t transparent enough, but I can’t understand why so many here would choose NOT to have this throttling effect that’s helping them not having random shutdowns.

Any smartphones using lithium-ion battery have this issues, I’m not sure how the other manufacturers are handling it, but I sure do see tons of reports of 1-3 years old smartphones shutting down for no reason be it because of worn out batteries or corrupted softwares. Doesn’t seem like the other manufacturers are doing a lot.

Because in reality, majority who complained probably don't have iPhones anyway. It's the internet echo chamber talking. It's worse when Apple's explanations are twisted by the tech bloggers as "intentionally slowing down."

A lot of the complaints are on the 6S, which Apple had run a free battery replacement program since 2016. Funny no tech bloggers/news media even mentioned that.
As for other manufacturers, it's most likely because nobody use a typical Android phones that long. And even if they did, most recent Android phones have beefy enough battery (at least 3000mAh and up, even budget ones), that it would've taken longer for any battery degradation to be felt.

At least Apple offers replacement. I had an HTC One M7, and its battery expanded, opening up the screen/phone. HTC Singapore refused any support/replacement, even if I wanted to pay for it.

 

[alleggerita]

I'm not sure that peole don't understand that. Even less savvy people know that as a battery ages, there are problems.
You know, the remote or mouse operation gets spotty, torch switches off but back on again if you leave it a moment, car takes longer to start etc. etc.
The throttling effect masked a bad battery and often by the time the batter was officially deemed a failure the warranty had expired.

If the battery is indeed worn, the option is to get the battery replaced. So again, the argument that Apple is doing this to force upgrades is really unfounded.

The throttling effect masked the effects of an old battery and prevented unexpected shutdowns. That’s them trying to give you a helping hand. Like you’ve said by then it’s most likely out of warranty. Apple could have wiped their hands clean and not doing anything about it and let you ponder if you still wish to keep a phone that shuts down at random.

 

[vmistery]

Really good to see Apple charging only a small amount for a battery replacement, hopefully after Dec 18 they won't put it right back up again or perhaps have it permanently at around £40 after.

 

[amegicfox]

Apple pays less then $5 per battery and they will still make a fortune selling them at $30

Tim how about not slowing down our phones in the first place and stop hiding this dirty tricks?

 

[MH01]

Because in reality, majority who complained probably don't have iPhones anyway. It's the internet echo chamber talking. It's worse when Apple's explanations are twisted by the tech bloggers as "intentionally slowing down."

A lot of the complaints are on the 6S, which Apple had run a free battery replacement program since 2016. Funny no tech bloggers/news media even mentioned that.
As for other manufacturers, it's most likely because nobody use a typical Android phones that long. And even if they did, most recent Android phones have beefy enough battery (at least 3000mAh and up, even budget ones), that it would've taken longer for any battery degradation to be felt.

At least Apple offers replacement. I had an HTC One M7, and its battery expanded, opening up the screen/phone. HTC Singapore refused any support/replacement, even if I wanted to pay for it.

I had to buy a battery case for my 6S cause apple said my phone was fine, and months later , they do a repair program...... funny thing was, my phone kept passing their tests...

Also, apple refuses to replace your battery if it passes their tests, even if you want to pay for it, you realise this ? This $29 offer is only applicable if they deem you qualify after they test..... not cool right ?kinda like HTC ?

 

[alleggerita]

Respectfully: bul**hit.

My 6s 128GB’s battery is at 82% of original battery capacity.
1400 mAh of 1715.

When properly charged, the phone is throttled down to 1500MHz from 1800MHz.
It usually is clocked at 1200MHz
When getting below 30% battery level, it gets clocked down to 900MHz and sometimes even 600, respectively.

With all due respect, is your phone still usable? Yes? Is it shutting down randomly? No? Are you compelled to upgrade your phone? No. Because you can replace your worn out battery and it’s part and parcel of using a lithium-ion powered smartphone.

 

[Ad13]

Sometimes I had bought used stuff from eBay, but when buying new devices, I go to Apple, because I know those guys will take care if something goes wrong with my devices. I have an iPhone 6 plus, and now Apple is going to replace the battery and they say that they will fix this problem with an update, what else can I ask for after owning this device for 3 years. I complained about iOS 11 as many others, and now there's a possibility that a new battery will fix the performance of iOS 11 on my iPhone 6 plus. Every body make mistakes and in this situation Apple is taking responsibility for that. I respect that and will buy from them again.

But what about people in the same boat as me? I felt I had to replace my 6S Plus as it was extremely slow and it felt so sluggish. I’m now over £900 out of pocket, when we now learn a simple battery would potentially have fixed my problem. Disgusting!

 

[BruceEBonus]

This. From one of the richest companies in the world. They're "working on it". Amazing.

 

[MH01]

Really good to see Apple charging only a small amount for a battery replacement, hopefully after Dec 18 they won't put it right back up again or perhaps have it permanently at around £40 after.

They could just remove this crap, and under UK consumer laws you would not even pay £40... as they would have to replace your crashing iPhone. Apple is taking you for a ride and Want to say thank you ? Please look at the larger picture, it’s not about a £29 battery which they need to authorise ......you cannot even request for it to happen, if the test says no....

 

[alleggerita]

I had to buy a battery case for my 6S cause apple said my phone was fine, and months later , they do a repair program...... funny thing was, my phone kept passing their tests...

Also, apple refuses to replace your battery if it passes their tests, even if you want to pay for it, you realise this ? This $29 offer is only applicable if they deem you qualify after they test..... not cool right ?kinda like HTC ?

Hmm, true that the threshold of their diagnostic software for diagnosting worn batteries is indeed a little suspiciously optimistic. On that part, I would agree with people’s complaint that Apple should have let battery replacement be a choice of consumers and not be determined by their diagnostic softwares

 

[isserley]

I don't know if this has been said yet, hope this also means I can change my 6S battery in Europe for lets say €29, lets wait and see.

It’ll probably be €39.

a) it was €89 up until now and
b) euro prices include Appr 20% VAT, while US prices do not.

 

[RamGuy]

This sounds good and all. I'm just waiting for the official pries in Norway. According to the article you "only" pay 79 USD for a out of warranty battery replacement, but here in Norway you have to pay around 180-210 USD so the prices are already much higher here for battery replacement from official Apple authorised service partners. We don't have Apple Stores here in Norway so the best thing we've got are the official service partners.

29 USD for a battery replacement sounds awesome. For that low a price there really is no reason for not to get a new battery unless you iPhone is under 1 year old. But I highly doubt these prices will be the same here, if we get this option at all.

The biggest issue that will most likely make it so that very few people will do this is the fact that you will be without a phone for 1 week+. As there is no "over-the-counter" service partners in Norway you will have to send your iPhone by mail to get the battery replaced. Most people don't want to be without their phone for 1 week+ and will most likely not bother with getting their battery replaced no matter how poor it might be.

Another question is whether you have to be within some sort of threshold in order to be able to take this offer? Do you need to have specific models, with specific serial numbers and does your current battery have to be really bad for you to be allowed to take this deal? Lets say some one has a 1,5 year old iPhone 7 and the battery test claims it to be at 90% and in good condition could one still decide to get it replaced just to get a brand new, fresh battery for only 29 USD? As its a limited timed offer for out of warranty replacement will everyone be able to take the offer no matter the condition of their current battery?

How how bad must ones battery be before Apple is forced to replace it under warranty? Here in Norway Apple has to comply with the law enforcing 2-year warranty instead of the regular 1-year and we also have some rather extreme consumer rights enforcing extended warranty on all private purchases for 5-years. These 5-years doesn't include batteries unless they are not easily replaceable for the consumer and one could argue Apple doesn't really full-fill that requirement so could this potentially mean they might be forced to replace bad batteries for free up to five years after purchase.

 

[OrangeInc]

Phone plugged into a wall is irrelevant. When you plug in the cpu is still drawing power from the battery, not the wall. And if the battery can’t supply current (irrespective of its power capacity) then it has to throttle.

Ok. But why 50% throttling on the cpu? It's pretty much unusable at that frequency forcing you to upgrade something regardless (iOS then battery then phone). Key terms here are "force" and "upgrade." Apple does not want you to keep your phone long regardless of the spin they put on this story of looking out for the customer and their poor degraded batteries.

They sure will make money, if that $29 battery now follows with you buying a new iPhone later on.

Yep. For those who have no plan on getting a new iphone right now, they can pay apple $30 for a "new-feeling phone." May not be much to you but if 1 million people went out to replace their iphone battery tomorrow (that will eventually need replacement again.....) then that's 30 million dollars right there in one day. Basically free money for Apple. So now whenever your iphone is slow paying them to switch out your battery will be one of the mandatory troubleshooting steps. Genius really.

 

[MH01]

Hmm, true that the threshold of their diagnostic software for diagnosting worn batteries is indeed a little suspiciously optimistic. On that part, I would agree with people’s complaint that Apple should have let battery replacement be a choice of consumers and not be determined by their diagnostic softwares

Totally agree with you.

I had 5S I took in a few times, passed all the battery tests no issues, finally a nice genius replaced It and battery life went up by a large margin. Their tests are designed to say all is fine, the goal isn’t to replace a poor battery.....it’s to get you to upgrade.

I just want apple to allow me to make the Choice it I want to thrown money at them and replace my battery, in a device I own.

 

[isserley]

With all due respect, is your phone still usable? Yes? Is it shutting down randomly? No? Are you compelled to upgrade your phone? No. Because you can replace your worn out battery and it’s part and parcel of using a lithium-ion powered smartphone.

I understand that LiIon batteries degrade over time. And I think Apple did the right thing offering cheaper battery replacements.
And I think it is a good idea educating customers about regular battery replacements.

Now, please do explain to me once again why a non-user-replaceable battery is a good thing?