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

[jonnysods]

This is a good move, I understand why they are doing it, not everyone will. I think posting this info as soon as they put the code into the phones would have helped them plenty.

Also poop, no cheap 5S battery replacements.

 

[I7guy]

If this is a limitation of battery tech why isn’t Android affected?

Android is affected. I was just reading on the alternatives forum a poster was complaining about random shutdowns on their older Galaxy.

 

[columbiaDweller]

Should be limited to the original iPhone owner only. If you buy a used phone, you accept the risks and costs involved.

 

[GuruZac]

Apparently, their legal and public relations departments are even better.
Apple knew aging batteries compromised performance. Instead of informing phone owners of that and promoting battery replacements to restore performance, they disguised the battery’s significance by preserving its daily runtime, leaving owners to speculate that performance slowdowns were OS related. If owners suspected the battery was to blame, Apple refused to oblige owners unless the battery met Apple’s criteria for replacement.

Apple may not intentionally compromise a product’s performance or longevity, but they aren’t above exploiting a product’s inherent limitations and consumer naïvety.

This this this. Your post perfectly explains why Apple needs to be humiliated for this. I have NO trust for Apple anymore. This was clear deception on their part, and they only came to the table to talk about this “wonderful” feature to benefit user experience when users were calling them out for shoddy performance. Really? The defenders on here would make for an interesting group to research as a psychologist... There is NO logical defense for Apple’s actions. Apple is too big, plain and simple. I hope this is cause for a major fall from grace for Apple.

 

[EdT]

Boy, people still think they can just go into an Apple Store and ask for a battery replacement for $29.

Good luck.

Yes I do. My iPhone 6 is 3+ years old and has been recharged at least a 1000 times since new. And I really don’t think ANY phone company is so stupid to announce a PR move like this and then renege on it. I also don’t tend to explain things using conspiracies that can be adequately explained by stupidity. And the battery PR was pretty stupid.

 

[jamezr]

I am no expert, but I think this is pretty typical with electronics. If the battery is shot, the components shut down. Apple or anyone (right now) can't magically fix this. It is an inherent issue with batteries that I actually see as a major disappointment in progress over the last 10 years. In Apple's eyes, they tried to remedy the issue by keeping your phone powered on, just at less power, so that you don't miss an important or potentially life saving phone call. I think that was the right call, but they should have been transparent about it. Looking at the response of people on these forums though, they should have just let the phones die as batteries do and move on. They didn't need to do any of this.

I think there is more going on here that just batteries lifespan. I mean...don't they test IOS updates on older devices?
The iPhone 7 is just a year old and it is on the list of devices that will be throttled. I think it is time for Apple to use a better battery technology in their phones. Other phone manufacturers don't have this problem. They don't slow down their phones to make up for bad batteries.
This is specific to Apple. I have had every iphone since the beginning and have noticed a performance hit with every IOS update. Up til now it was always anecdotal that IOS updates are slowing down iphones. Now that there is undeniable proof Apple admits it slows down iphones.
Personally i don't think this is limited to just iPhones......I would venture to say it is being done to iPads as well....

I don't think it is to just save battery life either.....I think it is to spur device upgrades as well.

 

[Isengarder]

Apple has reacted well. Once again, they have heard us. We, the users of their products are their most valuable active, and they know it. Our satisfaction is their best publicity, and this issue of the throttling was really annoying (I´m using an affected iPhone 6) and I got angry when it all was known, but Apple has caught the message and stepped forward, toward us, with a clean response and assuming the true bravely. Well done!

I have just received another good notice from Apple: They are going to replace for free my Late 2013 MacBook Pro screen, suddenly affected some days ago by the “staingate”, even when the extended 4 years of guarantee for this issue is actually ended up.

This is called “real caring for customers”, and this is what Apple does like no other.

Well done Apple.

 

[DNichter]

I think there is more going on here that just batteries lifespan. I mean...don't they test IOS updates on older devices?
The iPhone 7 is just a year old and it is on the list of devices that will be throttled. I think it is time for Apple to use a better battery technology in their phones. Other phone manufacturers don't have this problem. They don't slow down their phones to make up for bad batteries.
This is specific to Apple. I have had every iphone since the beginning and have noticed a performance hit with every IOS update. Up til now it was always anecdotal that IOS updates are slowing down iphones. Now that there is undeniable proof Apple admits it slows down iphones.
Personally i don't think this is limited to just iPhones......I would venture to say it is being done to iPads as well....

I don't think it is to just save battery life either.....I think it is to spur device upgrades as well.

I think there is a ton of confusion in your post. Just because the iPhone 7 can be throttled, doesn't mean it automatically is throttled. It will be throttled if it has a battery issue that can shut off your phone. iOS updates can potentially slow down your phone because they are mainly optimized for the current iPhone, support is then added for older generation phones. More features are added to iOS and that taxes the older hardware, another unavoidable situation, but is obviously better to add support than to just cut it off. I think a lot of this is hearsay and people that are complaining (not saying you) may not even have the issue. They just love the narrative of bashing Apple and will look for any opportunity to do so.

 

[jamezr]

And why does Apple need to care about what Samsung does with their devices?!

Because Apple is using inferrior battery technology if their only recourse to to throttle the phone to keep it from shutting down. Other phone makers don't have this issue as battery life degrades the time between battery charges increases. Apple took the route of throttling the phone instead to make up for inferior battery ans chipset technology.

 

[617660]

Goodwill is always appreciated. I've been on the end of that goodwill with cars and phones. But this is not the norm for any manufacturer; goodwill is on a case by case basis.

I appreciate the fact that Honda didn't flip up its corporate card and said "Hey, we apologize but your car is not on the recall list. Here is the $3,000 estimate to replace your tranny."

Yes I do. My iPhone 6 is 3+ years old and has been recharged at least a 1000 times since new. And I really don’t think ANY phone company is so stupid to announce a PR move like this and then renege on it. I also don’t tend to explain things using conspiracies that can be adequately explained by stupidity. And the battery PR was pretty stupid.

Why don't you give it a try before replying? Just wait a few days and post your receipt, will ya?

What I said is exactly in line with Apple's policy. They don't just blindly replace your battery just because you want a new one.

But of course, every complaint on Apple is a conspiracy.

 

[Williesleg]

Nice of you to keep posting here, though. We all are very excited to hear about your Android phone. Tell us more about it! How magical is it loading MacRumors forums and using it to type comments about how much you hate Apple and iPhones? We are all just dying to know more!

Yeah, it's fantastic! I come back from time to time to help out my fellow brothers and sisters who haven't seen the light yet. Glad to be of service. It's a lot easier to switch than most people think, and that was holding me back. But it's really so easy and fun!

You just power up the Pixel 2, plug your iPhone into your Pixel 2 with the included adapter, answer 'trust' on the iPhone, and the Pixel 2 copies over all your photos, contacts, even apps - it finds the apps on the Play store and loads them up for you! Even your wallpaper is transferred over! I'll tell you, there's a hell of a lot more innovation happening at Google than at Apple where they seem to be stagnant and afraid to do anything. So boring, same old same old.

And the camera on the Pixel 2 is magical! Way better quality than what I had on the iPhone.

I can go on forever but your best bet would be to watch some youtube videos and head over to a Verizon store and try one out for yourself.

 

[RemE]

All batteries age, phone lithiums get a good workout and certainly get "soft" at end of life and simply need to be changed. Apple created this monster by making batteries non-replaceable for esthetic design ethos and hopefully not for the locked-in model where you pay a premium to replace the battery or just replace the phone as many do.

Honestly, Apple should have always offered a "very reasonable" battery replacement model. I fully understand them throttling the phone to prevent shutdowns but they should have also alerted the user "Warning, time to replace your battery, it is at end of life". By not doing so it stinks of at least someone in Apple thinking that this would in fact gently push some users to want a new phone as theirs was not snappy like newer models.

I applaud their quick response, but it ONLY happened because outsiders exposed the practice, and if nothing else Apple has smart PR and Legal teams that jumped into action. So hats off to the tech world for shining the light of truth and keeping manufacturers honest.

But Hey, here I sit with my X, knowing full well that it has a sleek brittle glass back that costs $500 to replace. Apple is a tech goliath, and could have easily designed a composite back that would look like glass but not break like glass. But no, they took what I (a mere tech mortal) think is a pretty stupid path just to please some artist designer.

 

[maka344]

I think there is more going on here that just batteries lifespan. I mean...don't they test IOS updates on older devices?
The iPhone 7 is just a year old and it is on the list of devices that will be throttled. I think it is time for Apple to use a better battery technology in their phones. Other phone manufacturers don't have this problem. They don't slow down their phones to make up for bad batteries.
This is specific to Apple. I have had every iphone since the beginning and have noticed a performance hit with every IOS update. Up til now it was always anecdotal that IOS updates are slowing down iphones. Now that there is undeniable proof Apple admits it slows down iphones.
Personally i don't think this is limited to just iPhones......I would venture to say it is being done to iPads as well....

I don't think it is to just save battery life either.....I think it is to spur device upgrades as well.

I personally think it’s both. Rubbish battery tech, stop phones shutting off and the added benefit of forcing upgrades.

This would have gone on for a lot longer if they weren’t outed.

 

[MH01]

Well the bolded is up for debate. Did apple have a legal right to do this coupled with even though they may have a legal right was it morally right. Two separate questions. One it will take a court of law to decide, the second is up for debate ad-nauseum.

What is being repaired, sounds like an unofficial recall of maybe a batch of bad batteries, such as on the 6s.

Morally ? No.... greed I would reason with, but for moral reason.... no.....

My 6S was already recalled for a bad battery . Sounds like the issue was more widespread and a software fix was implemented to avoid a recall. Let's see how this plays out .

 

[DNichter]

It then they would have the battery replaced. Simple.

Exactly.

 

[I7guy]

Morally ? No.... greed I would reason with, but for moral reason.... no.....

My 6S was already recalled for a bad battery . Sounds like the issue was more widespread and a software fix was implemented to avoid a recall. Let's see how this plays out .

Battery was replaced in 6s. The phone has a longer period between charging and I notice it charges faster with the new battery vs the old battery using the 12w power brick.

 

[jamezr]

I think there is a ton of confusion in your post. Just because the iPhone 7 can be throttled, doesn't mean it automatically is throttled. It will be throttled if it has a battery issue that can shut off your phone. iOS updates can potentially slow down your phone because they are mainly optimized for the current iPhone, support is then added for older generation phones. More features are added to iOS and that taxes the older hardware, another unavoidable situation, but is obviously better to add support than to just cut it off. I think a lot of this is hearsay and people that are complaining (not saying you) may not even have the issue. They just love the narrative of bashing Apple and will look for any opportunity to do so.

But the one year old iPhone 7 will be throttled......why? It is only a year old. Why does IOS upgrades slow down older phones? Android OS upgrades actually improve battery performance while adding features.

There always anecdotal evidence in the past that IOS upgrades were slowing down iphones. Now there is actual proof that this planned. Apple is a very very smart and advanced technology company. Are we to believe with all the brain power and technology talent at their disposal that they throttled phones because they had no other recourse?
The technology exists....Apple's competitors use it.
I think at some point we all have to realize....that throttling the iphone was in part a way to encourage people to buy a new phone......

 

[ZL1MSCL]

Only solves part of the problem. For years Apple have sold phones to people who thought their old phone was dying and that they needed to get a new one, when really all they needed was a battery. I think they should address that issue.

“For years”? iOS 10.2.1 (the ‘suspect’ operating system software) was released just 11 months ago...I think you are confusing that with when the iPhone 6 | 6+ (the oldest effected hardware platform) was released when NEW (3+ years ago).

 

[No5tromo]

Way to conveniently leave out that Apple is throttling phones based on batteries that Apple diagnostics report as "Healthy" (above 80%).

And the fact that Apple did all this without disclosing why the phone is being slowed down so users wouldn't think to even check the battery.

This. I’m tired of people defending Apple over something so obviously inexcusable.

 

[gugy]

Goodwill is always appreciated. I've been on the end of that goodwill with cars and phones. But this is not the norm for any manufacturer; goodwill is on a case by case basis.

Yep, once I had my base MacPro repaired at least 4 times with major issues. The fifth time I had a problem this Apple tech support guy over the phone decide to replace my machine for free with a top of the line 12 core at the time. A computer at least 3x the value of mine.
So it comes down to luck, who you deal with it, politeness, understanding and karma. This is always case by case.

 

[I7guy]

But the one year old iPhone 7 will be throttled......why? It is only a year old. Why does IOS upgrades slow down older phones? Android OS upgrades actually improve battery performance while adding features.

There always anecdotal evidence in the past that IOS upgrades were slowing down iphones. Now there is actual proof that this planned. Apple is a very very smart and advanced technology company. Are we to believe with all the brain power and technology talent at their disposal that they throttled phones because they had no other recourse?
The technology exists....Apple's competitors use it.
I think at some point we all have to realize....that throttling the iphone was in part a way to encourage people to buy a new phone......

My one year iphone 7 definitely is not throttled. It can be subject to power management in the future, I'm guessing. But it isn't now.

 

[617660]

Goodwill is always appreciated. I've been on the end of that goodwill with cars and phones. But this is not the norm for any manufacturer; goodwill is on a case by case basis.

This is how Apple should take care of this issue. Totally own it.

 

[DNichter]

But the one year old iPhone 7 will be throttled......why? It is only a year old. Why does IOS upgrades slow down older phones? Android OS upgrades actually improve battery performance while adding features.

There always anecdotal evidence in the past that IOS upgrades were slowing down iphones. Now there is actual proof that this planned. Apple is a very very smart and advanced technology company. Are we to believe with all the brain power and technology talent at their disposal that they throttled phones because they had no other recourse?
The technology exists....Apple's competitors use it.
I think at some point we all have to realize....that throttling the iphone was in part a way to encourage people to buy a new phone......

Because if the battery becomes degraded due to time or just being a bad battery (components aren't invincible), then it will be throttled so that it doesn't shut down on people. Put on your tin hat I suppose. I think you're better off switching platforms then. It seems like you have a bunch of positives on the Android side so it makes sense. I value different things so I will stay with Apple.

 

[MH01]

Android is affected. I was just reading on the alternatives forum a poster was complaining about random shutdowns on their older Galaxy.

A poster on a forum does not mean Android is affected .

Please provide proof that android has this throttling ..... you have claimed this a few times on this thread, please provide proofs

An electronic device having random shutdowns .... my nokia 6100 also affected