iPhone 11 Battery change - did I get scammed?

[phl92]

I am in bed and this little fact just made click in my head, this cannot be!
I brought today my iPhone 11 to a small phone repair shop to change the battery (my battery doesn’t survive a full day of heavy usage anymore). And I chose a non Apple shop solely for the reason, because Apple told me their change for a battery takes 5-8 week days. (Are you kidding me Apple? Who nowadays can be 1 week without phone? I need my phone everyday for work alone)
Whatever, I chose a small shop with many very good ratings. When I gave the phone to the man in the shop I of course had it still on but locked with my password. He told me it will be done in 45minutes and I come back. When I left the shop I worried a bit that I didnt turn the phone off, but on the other hand I thought this might have not been a big difference since the faceid password check anyway comes across.
Anyway, when I picked up my phone 45min later I immediately checked if my last opened Apps still were the same and they were. So I thought ok all good and I also noticed a message from iOs that my battery seems not to be original etc (the shop guy informed about that beforehand).
Just now I realized: HOW on earth my phone could be still on and with the same apps open when the battery was removed????
My phone must have been turned off? No electricity.
What do I miss??

 

[mlody]

Unless you force close the apps before shutting down, it is my understanding that they will all come up after a reboot.

if you want to be a bit more assured, and if you have access to a Mac computer, download coconut battery and see what that thing tells you.

 

[phl92]

Unless you force close the apps before shutting down, it is my understanding that they will all come up after a reboot.

if you want to be a bit more assured, and if you have access to a Mac computer, download coconut battery and see what that thing tells you.

You are right, and he might have just turned it on… and as far as I remember I entered the code not face ID
I have a Macbook and also CoconutBattery, but afaik I need the paid version to also see data for my iphone on it, no?!

 

[mlody]

You are right, and he might have just turned it on…
I gave a Macbook and also CoconutBattery, but afaik I need the paid version to also see data for my iPhone on it, no?!

The free version is all you need for this task. When you open it, look for number of cycles and possibly the age / manufacturing date of the battery (if available). If the cycle numbers are low and the manufacturing date if let's say within a year or two, I think you got a new battery, but if the cycles are high - and the battery age is several years old, then I would question the service you received.

 

[RRC]

What country are you in that the genuine Apple Store said 5-8 days for a battery replacement?!

 

[phl92]

Ok I just checked Coconut Battery app and the data it shows me is VERY confusing. I doubt it can be that bad.
I mean manufacturer date 2011? Cmon, were there even iPhones or batteries made in that size and form?

@RCC: I am in Austria. I called Apple and some days later (because I also just could not believe what I was getting told on phone, I was at the official website chatting with some of the support team telling me the exact same. And the reason the stated was, that they cannot know if they have the battery available in the store. I also asked if this is not possible to check online, or in the store beforehand... NO! it's not, as if he was telling me "NO, we don't want customers to repair their too early dying products")
In Austria the official Apple reseller is called McShark. They have around 5-6 shops over Vienna. Almost same story. Except that they offered me a borrowed iPhone 13 for 1 week for a price of 40€, which would make the whole repairing 130€ total. Ridiculous!!

So I added the screenshots down below. The count cycle is 0, but the manufacture date is more than 4000days old This cannot be true, right? I mean I would already today feel if the battery he inserted me is total crap.

 

[9Benua]

This is easy to check. Get a coconut battery and check whether the battery is new or not.

 

[phl92]

This is easy to check. Get a coconut battery and check whether the battery is new or not.

I don't understand your post. What do you mean with 'get a coconut battery'? If you mean to get the CB app, the screenshots of the results were posted above.

 

[chrfr]

Coconut Battery has some trouble with dates in older versions so you want to make sure it's up to date, but given that the iPhone 11 didn't exist in 2011 you can be sure the battery is not that old.
However, only Apple and Apple authorized repair shops can get genuine Apple batteries, and authorized shops MUST use Apple batteries and repair parts, so I would not be concerned about the battery if the shop was authorized.

 

[phl92]

Ok so you mean my Coconut Battery App is not up to date? This could be!
But anyway, real life test will show about the battery. But if its really old, than the battery might be bad again in 1 year... whatever

 

[Andeddu]

Ok so you mean my Coconut Battery App is not up to date? This could be!
But anyway, real life test will show about the battery. But if its really old, than the battery might be bad again in 1 year... whatever

You were not scammed as the cycles on your app provide an accurate reading. Not all batteries are equal, however, and aftermarket batteries are hit or miss. You will not know if you have a good battery until around a year of use so don’t worry about it in the meantime.

 

[Fat_Guy]

Yes - cycle count was zero so new battery.

 

[Jackbequickly]

As far as them turning your phone off by disconnecting the battery, they could have also used a jumper battery that is attached until the new battery is installed.

 

[chrfr]

Yes - cycle count was zero so new battery.

Cycle counts can be reset on batteries, unfortunately, so this is no verification unless the battery was replaced by an authorized Apple service provider.

 

[Andeddu]

Cycle counts can be reset on batteries, unfortunately, so this is no verification unless the battery was replaced by an authorized Apple service provider.

Almost anything can be forged so even an authorised Apple replacement can be fraudulent. If his battery is noticeably holding charge for longer then it’s a new battery. That is proof that a battery replacement has taken place.

 

[phl92]

First day is over, and I cannot say too much. Used the phone alot, around 5,5h on screen, and it wen down from 89% to around 16% ..

 

[saudor]

Cycles can be all faked on these batteries. I had one where it always said 100% health and 1 cycle. Another one would give a random number from 90 to 100% health.

If you're lucky, it's a genuine battery from a trade in/recycled iphone. If you're unlucky, it's a knock off that could die super quick or cause other problems.

I've used a couple of these back in the days and it generally lasted about a year before it died/battery life became an issue. Cost was about 1/3 of apple.

I'm on my 6th year on my 8+ with its original battery. While most people might see issues in their 3rd year, the math simply doesn't check out. 1/3 of the price for 1/3 of the performance or less. Plus you assume all the risks.

 

[phl92]

I would have gone to Apple, paying twice or three times the price, but I cannot afford to be 1 week without my phone.
In my region, it seems to be the only way

 

[Andeddu]

I would have gone to Apple, paying twice or three times the price, but I cannot afford to be 1 week without my phone.
In my region, it seems to be the only way

If the battery is no good and is giving you problems within the next 6 months to a year, you should borrow a phone or use a burner phone while your phone is with the authorised Apple vendor for a battery replacement.

 

[madrigal77]

All totally normal. Replacing the battery will not clear out your recently opened apps. Also if it's a copy battery, coconut battery may not read the production date properly.

There are high quality 3rd party batteries that are close to on par with the originals (gone through all the proper certifications, etc..), and there are complete garbage. Hopefully the place used a high quality one.

You'll know by the fact if it makes a difference in your battery life, and the overall longevity of the battery. A battery should last 2-5 years before needing to be replaced, depending on your usage and charging habits. If your battery life tanks again within a year, you'll know it was a crap battery lol.