Dunno if already suggested, but if they are new replacements, why couldn't you change it out instantly at an apple store instead of waiting a week? This suggests a refurbished replacement, and it would be hard to stockpile them at all stores as opposed to a more central location.
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Apple's iPad Battery Replacement Program Forgoes New Battery, Replaces iPad
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spazzcat
macrumors 601
If your battery dies within the 1st year, that will almost certainly be a considered a defect and will be replaced under warranty for free.
I've had Apple replace questionable laptop batteries for free even shortly after my initial warranty was up (and I hadn't bought Applecare).
spazzcat
macrumors 601
If they have a refurbished unit, your going to get a refurbished unit, but if Apple is out of them, you will get a new one.
As to people wondering about e-waste, the bad units will become refurbished units if all they need is a new battery and cover.
I imagine the physical "imperfection" (or scuffing, etc.) is less of an issue than evidence of past jailbreaking that might be discovered.
Piggie
macrumors G3
I think you are missing the point here.
In the UK Apple would have no choise (as would anyone else)
As you quite rightly say "Normally" a battery would probably not have a lot of cover under the warranty (wear and tear part) BUT because apple are stupid and seal the batteries inside the units if the batterys wears out the whole device is in effect ruined.
The user cannot buy and replace the battery, so the maker (apple) has to replace it.
It would be like a ford selling you a car and fixing the tyres inside the car.
Not allowing you to buy new tyres or give you any way of fitting a tyre even if you did find one. They would then be liable as the whole car would be useless without them.
I see this as a clever way to recycle returned/faulty/repaired products.
Think about it, millions (over time) of returned iPads that can't be sold as new, this way, they will never have this problem as they can keep recycling them for ever (almost) and never have stocks of old ones building up.
Just think if the one you sent them was perfect and the one you got back had a dead pixel on the screen!
cmaier
Suspended
Obviously, they just dont want the techs to have to open up the iPad. They'd rather just replace the whole unit which is prob a lot easier.
I think this is a great thing.
I think this is a great thing.
Tires are an external component to automobiles. Not a great analogy. Batteries in Apple mobile products became factory replaceable as:
1) Factory replacements allow for the manufacturer to reuse working components and properly dispose of non-working components, greatly reducing consumer e-waste
2) As a student in industrial design, eliminating the need for user replaceable parts allots for smaller and more mobile product design by eliminating a need for a battery "hatch" and placing a thinner, more lightweight battery without regard to user access and with more regard to efficiency in product design and function
As the products sent back to customers are tested, this would rarely occur, and if so Apple has and will replace it. Any and all defects are noted by Apple employees when the customer sends the unit in for repair/replacement.
Piggie
macrumors G3
I suppose, as the head of the company (in front of the world) told everyone that the battery lasts 10 hours it may not be so easy to wiggle out of it this time.
If a head of a company tells you a fact, and you buy a product based on that fact and BEFORE you buy it, there is no other information given to you to alter this point, then if the product does not do what the head of the company has told you then you probably have a good case to return the item
If a head of a company tells you a fact, and you buy a product based on that fact and BEFORE you buy it, there is no other information given to you to alter this point, then if the product does not do what the head of the company has told you then you probably have a good case to return the item
Absolutely will not. If you drain your iPhone enough, you'll have to charge it 5 minutes or so before it will even turn on. Ditto with other cell phones.
AppleMark
macrumors 6502a
So what if want to mistreat my ipad?
I see the following problems.
I still own an old aluminium (we pronounce all the syllables here in the UK
) G4 Powerbook, which had been dropped and dented and the hinges are a bit loose and wonky, way before, the battery recall / replacement. I still was able to get a new battery (for free) with existing (battery unrelated) damage.
I also currently own a black Macbook, which is a little chipped around the edges, more than a few scratches and I have wilfully damaged it by gluing bits to it, such as stickers and badges to personalise it. But when it needs a new battery I can buy a new one.
Point is, I spent well over £1000 for my old Powerbook at the time and £900 on my Macbook. Therefore I presume I should be able to do what I like with it. If a component or part fails (unrelated to cosmetic damage) under warranty (2 year John Lewis or 3 year Apple care for example) are they suggesting that because they are unwilling to open up returned ipads and replace the battery, (they open them up to put them in, in the first place!), they will refuse if you chose to treat your own property in a way not relating to the battery failure?
You should be eligible to be able to replace your battery in your ipad regardless of how treat it cosmetically. The fact that they choose to send a new ipad, rather then repair your own one should not prejudice your part of their Contract.
I am also concerned that they are building them to last as long as ipods. I have owned 3 ipods and 2 nanos, not including iphones, 3 of which failed out of warranty due to battery related faults in the 2nd and 3rd years of usage.
As for the post about paying extra for deemed, damaged ipads, why should I pay more to have my battery replaced because of how I decide to treat it cosmetically?
I see the following problems.
I still own an old aluminium (we pronounce all the syllables here in the UK
) G4 Powerbook, which had been dropped and dented and the hinges are a bit loose and wonky, way before, the battery recall / replacement. I still was able to get a new battery (for free) with existing (battery unrelated) damage.
I also currently own a black Macbook, which is a little chipped around the edges, more than a few scratches and I have wilfully damaged it by gluing bits to it, such as stickers and badges to personalise it. But when it needs a new battery I can buy a new one.
Point is, I spent well over £1000 for my old Powerbook at the time and £900 on my Macbook. Therefore I presume I should be able to do what I like with it. If a component or part fails (unrelated to cosmetic damage) under warranty (2 year John Lewis or 3 year Apple care for example) are they suggesting that because they are unwilling to open up returned ipads and replace the battery, (they open them up to put them in, in the first place!), they will refuse if you chose to treat your own property in a way not relating to the battery failure?
You should be eligible to be able to replace your battery in your ipad regardless of how treat it cosmetically. The fact that they choose to send a new ipad, rather then repair your own one should not prejudice your part of their Contract.
I am also concerned that they are building them to last as long as ipods. I have owned 3 ipods and 2 nanos, not including iphones, 3 of which failed out of warranty due to battery related faults in the 2nd and 3rd years of usage.
As for the post about paying extra for deemed, damaged ipads, why should I pay more to have my battery replaced because of how I decide to treat it cosmetically?
mex4eric
macrumors 6502
Great idea!
Worth every penny. Battery will probably last 3 years plus. If it lasts less than a year you get it replaced under warrantee, if you get Applecare and it last less than 3 years, you get it replaced under warrantee. So, chances are it will last more then 3 years and then you can choose to pay $100 to get it replaced or buy the then current new one for maybe $399 with wi-fi, 3G and 4G wireless plus all the other new goodies on it 3 years hence, maybe camera, padOS 6.2, whatever.😉
Worth every penny. Battery will probably last 3 years plus. If it lasts less than a year you get it replaced under warrantee, if you get Applecare and it last less than 3 years, you get it replaced under warrantee. So, chances are it will last more then 3 years and then you can choose to pay $100 to get it replaced or buy the then current new one for maybe $399 with wi-fi, 3G and 4G wireless plus all the other new goodies on it 3 years hence, maybe camera, padOS 6.2, whatever.😉
So wait,
If I purchase AppleCare on the iPad, do I still need to pay the $99 if my battery dies?
If I purchase AppleCare on the iPad, do I still need to pay the $99 if my battery dies?
If Apple can direct the customer to an ASP, I guess Apple does not consider iPad as an iPod, they treat it as a computer!!
Still, it is good news because Apple still pays ASP for the repair but the process is merely just administration and paperwork to get it swapped!!
Still, it is good news because Apple still pays ASP for the repair but the process is merely just administration and paperwork to get it swapped!!
Westside guy
macrumors 604
Yeah, just like with a laptop when the battery is fried - you can still use it plugged in, even if the battery holds zero charge. Or even, for that matter, if you remove the battery completely.
Of course this is assuming the problem you're experiencing is indeed due to the battery and not caused by something else.
My old 3G iPod got to this point - for a while I used it as an external firewire drive since it wasn't much use for anything else (it was old enough I didn't have any interest in replacing the battery - I knew I wanted a Touch).
Manderby
macrumors 6502a
Now there's someone with an eye for quality. Have the same model. Never regretted it.
Apple has always put their refurbished iPods/iPhones in new casings before giving them to customers. I'm assuming they'd do the same thing with the refurbed iPads. Old internals that have been fixed, and brand new casings. Sounds like a pretty good deal.
Um, not the same market as an iPad, completely different devices. Apples and oranges.
andiwm2003
macrumors 601
seems you missed the point. it's great that apple replaces a faulty battery.
the problem is that there are many people out there with engraved iphones or with minor dents and scratches or where the water sensors turned red. however these devices work just fine. if you can't replace the battery alone you depend on apples policies (or on your stores). if they say a triggered watersensor excludes you from the iPad swap then your device is dead. with iphones you can simply have the battery replaced regardless if the screen has a crack or the was some water damge or you have an engraving.
so the situation got worse for the customer. it's not that we are spoiled or want something for free. we just want the possibility to replace the battery on a slightly damaged but functional device.
confirms suspicions ...
That the iPad follows iPod policy that has been in place and working well for years shouldn't be a disappointment nor a surprise.
The requirement to sync makes it appear that the iPad isn't viewed by apple as a stand-alone computer capable of managing its own OS updates. It looks like it will have to be managed by a separate computer the way iPhones and iPods currently are. This is my presumption of course.
I *do* look forward to when an iPad-ilke very simple machine can be self-administered.
sample use-case: - my parents in-law live in a small european country ... for from me in California. They are elderly and technophobic. I bought them an iPod touch so that we could email eachother and they could browse the web, without my needing to administrate a laptop for them. They LOVE it. I can't wait to replace their iTouch with an iPad.
Still, I'm guessing they'll have to wait for me to visit before they can have their OS updated ... looking forward to when that may not be necessary.
a bit off-topic - but this post brought it to my mind.
That the iPad follows iPod policy that has been in place and working well for years shouldn't be a disappointment nor a surprise.
The requirement to sync makes it appear that the iPad isn't viewed by apple as a stand-alone computer capable of managing its own OS updates. It looks like it will have to be managed by a separate computer the way iPhones and iPods currently are. This is my presumption of course.
I *do* look forward to when an iPad-ilke very simple machine can be self-administered.
sample use-case: - my parents in-law live in a small european country ... for from me in California. They are elderly and technophobic. I bought them an iPod touch so that we could email eachother and they could browse the web, without my needing to administrate a laptop for them. They LOVE it. I can't wait to replace their iTouch with an iPad.
Still, I'm guessing they'll have to wait for me to visit before they can have their OS updated ... looking forward to when that may not be necessary.
a bit off-topic - but this post brought it to my mind.
So the fact that Mercedes offers a 50,000 mile warranty on their car shows that they're EXPECTING problems? You have a really strange concept of what a warranty is. As for dead battery - as you've been told, you plug it in and it will operate. Besides, it will almost always fail gradually and you should have been backing it up regularly, right?
You could sue all you want, but you wouldn't win. If the policy says they don't have to service damaged units and they don't service a damaged unit, under what grounds would you sue? I get really tired of whiny people who think they're entitled to whatever they want.
Just like the iPod, iPhone, etc which have the same policy. Obviously, Apple gets in since they refurbish the returned units. Not to mention that there will undoubtedly be third parties who will replace the battery for you, as well.
The way most people use it, they'll be syncing with the computer regularly, and/or using iDisk to store their data. If you follow good backup practices, you won't have a problem. Not to mention that the kind of failure you're talking about is extremely rare.
No, it didn't. It said:
"Note: Your iPad is not eligible for Battery Replacement Service if the product has been damaged, for example, as result of an accident, liquid contact, disassembly, unauthorized service or unauthorized modifications, or if the product is not operating correctly as a result of a component failure. "
You get a replacement IF the one you return has not been damaged.
There are a large number of people who seem to spend their lives doing nothing but attacking Apple no matter what they do. You see a bunch of these people here who have some need to attack Apple products - even though they've never used them and are proud of the fact that they never will.
It's not a warranty - you're even more confused than the person above. It's a replacement program. You only spend the $100 IF your battery fails. So, if you happen to have a bad battery (after the warranty expires), you can choose to either buy a new unit ($499 to $829) or spend $100 to swap your unit for a refurb. If your battery doesn't fail, you're obviously not going to spend the money. No need to consider statistics at all.
They've had the same program with iPods for years and there's no evidence that the number of failures has been significant (I have a 5 year old iPod that still gets me > 12 hours on a charge compared to about 14 hours new, and all the iPod users I know have similar experience). They're simply stating ahead of time what the program will be for the small percentage of bad batteries out there.