iPhone SE (2016) Do Applecare actually, physically *replace* your battery?

[oyabroch!]

Hi all.

Do Applecare actually, physically *replace* your battery when you send it in and pay your £25 under the battery replacement programme, or is this said in the same spirit as "refurbished" iPhones? It's known that "refurbished" iPhone stock units are actually BETTER than new stock, because they've had their parts stringently inspected, faulty/damaged ones replaced, have been soak tested and have received FAR more focused, personal up-close attention than production line units would have done, due to the knowledge that these phones were faulty/returned units, hence more scrutiny is employed to ensure a proper functioning unit.

The reason I ask is that I am sending my SE in for a replacement battery ("Health" says it has 91% design capacity left, but I want to do it before the programme ends) - we often hear of incredible Applecare stories such as the one below, where you send an evidently used iPhone in for service, and Apple send you back a phone that is indiscernible from new stock, due to them having replaced cosmetically damaged parts... etc...

Thank you, in hopeful anticipation.

Matthew.

 

[JPack]

Do Applecare actually, physically *replace* your battery when you send it in and pay your £25 under the battery replacement programme, or is this said in the same spirit as "refurbished" iPhones?

Yes, your battery is replaced.

It's known that "refurbished" iPhone stock units are actually BETTER than new stock, because they've had their parts stringently inspected, faulty/damaged ones replaced, have been soak tested and have received FAR more focused, personal up-close attention than production line units would have done, due to the knowledge that these phones were faulty/returned units, hence more scrutiny is employed to ensure a proper functioning unit.

LOL. That's a myth. If anything, refurbished units are worse that a new unit.

Apple has been known to replace chips even on water damaged logic boards. The logic board remains corroded. They've replaced chips without replacing the underfill. Plenty of customers who replaced their phone under the iPhone 6 Plus Multi-Touch Repair Program received phones that were affected by Touch Disease right out of the box.

Unless your device is in pretty **** condition, you shouldn't be rolling the dice on a refurbished unit.

 

[Closingracer]

They will replace the battery unless they screw it up somehow because a fault if their own or don’t have SE battery stock in your case.

 

[Closingracer]

Yes, your battery is replaced.



LOL. That's a myth. If anything, refurbished units are worse that a new unit.

Apple has been known to replace chips even on water damaged logic boards. The logic board remains corroded. They've replaced chips without replacing the underfill. Plenty of customers who replaced their phone under the iPhone 6 Plus Multi-Touch Repair Program received phones that were affected by Touch Disease right out of the box.

Unless your device is in pretty **** condition, you shouldn't be rolling the dice on a refurbished unit.

I wouldn’t call it a myth. I bought a launch iPhone 4 and the speaker died . The replacement unit was like the best phone I ever owned in terms of durability. It went through a lot and only managed a small gouge in the bottom left area near the home button. Had a replacement iPhone 6 Plus because of a broken screen under Apple care because of something which I forgot and was better then my old one .

 

[oyabroch!]

They will replace the battery unless they screw it up somehow because a fault if their own or don’t have SE battery stock in your case.

Thank you for that, I appreciate your direct, unbiased, factual answer

 

[SL4VE]

You will literally get a new battery in your old iPhone.

Refurbished iPhones are absolutely fine. It would be absurd for Apple to send out sub par items. I have had plenty and they are normally more reliable then the retail stock ones. My current iPhone X lasted a month before I needed a replacement due to battery and signal issues. Same with my iPhone 6 which had a lose screen out the box and the so called refurbished model lasted 4 years before the battery died on me

 

[oyabroch!]

You will literally get a new battery in your old iPhone.

Refurbished iPhones are absolutely fine. It would be absurd for Apple to send out sub par items. I have had plenty and they are normally more reliable then the retail stock ones. My current iPhone X lasted a month before I needed a replacement due to battery and signal issues. Same with my iPhone 6 which had a lose screen out the box and the so called refurbished model lasted 4 years before the battery died on me

Thank you, also

Yes, I concur regarding refurbs.

 

[JPack]

I wouldn’t call it a myth. I bought a launch iPhone 4 and the speaker died . The replacement unit was like the best phone I ever owned in terms of durability. It went through a lot and only managed a small gouge in the bottom left area near the home button. Had a replacement iPhone 6 Plus because of a broken screen under Apple care because of something which I forgot and was better then my old one .

It's a myth because at best, the customer gets a like-new device. There is no way a refurbished unit, which likely contains salvaged parts, is better than a new device.

Refurbished = Could be an open box; could be a water damaged device with a repaired logic board
New = No chance of used parts
[doublepost=1528509649][/doublepost]

You will literally get a new battery in your old iPhone.

Refurbished iPhones are absolutely fine. It would be absurd for Apple to send out sub par items. I have had plenty and they are normally more reliable then the retail stock ones. My current iPhone X lasted a month before I needed a replacement due to battery and signal issues. Same with my iPhone 6 which had a lose screen out the box and the so called refurbished model lasted 4 years before the battery died on me

If that were the case, then no one should be reporting faulty refurbished devices out of the box.

There are plenty of customers who received defective devices under the Multi-Touch Repair Program.

 

[Closingracer]

It's a myth because at best, the customer gets a like-new device. There is no way a refurbished unit, which likely contains salvaged parts, is better than a new device.

Refurbished = Could be an open box; could be a water damaged device with a repaired logic board
New = No chance of used parts

As I said with every refurbished unit i got was better then before . Refurbished units is usually ones that failed to meet spec the first time and was remade.


Refurbished sold is usually that and that’s outside of Apple supply chain like Best Buy it whatever

 

[oyabroch!]

It's a myth because at best, the customer gets a like-new device. There is no way a refurbished unit, which likely contains salvaged parts, is better than a new device.

Refurbished = Could be an open box; could be a water damaged device with a repaired logic board
New = No chance of used parts

I have no insider knowledge of Apple practices, BUT I highly doubt they'd waste man-hours doing component-level board repairs when they can just install a brand new logic board, and have a much speedier turnaround. Why would they futz about doing micro BGA re-balls and corrosion cleaning when they have to warrant the item, same as any other? I am speculating based upon my 25 years of electronics manufacturing and repair experience, I am not stating it as fact.

 

[SL4VE]

It's a myth because at best, the customer gets a like-new device. There is no way a refurbished unit, which likely contains salvaged parts, is better than a new device.

Refurbished = Could be an open box; could be a water damaged device with a repaired logic board
New = No chance of used parts

Apple employees say different. They only use main boards if they are of good condition and all other parts are new or located from strip down models. Melted, re-manufactured it whatever process they desire. All outer casings and battery are new. You will never see a replacement model with a defect, due to the refurbishment. Apart from the old iPhone 5 that came out the box with scratched bezels.

 

[JPack]

I have no insider knowledge of Apple practices, BUT I highly doubt they'd waste man-hours doing component-level board repairs when they can just install a brand new logic board, and have a much speedier turnaround. Why would they futz about doing micro BGA re-balls and corrosion cleaning when they have to warrant the item, same as any other? I am speculating based upon my 25 years of electronics manufacturing and repair experience, I am not stating it as fact.

Because the logic board alone costs more than US$100.

The NAND and LPDDR memory alone costs more than US$30.

If you really work in the electronics manufacturing industry, you would understand that everybody re-works logic boards.

1 man-hour in Shenzhen to save a $130 logic board? Should be a no-brainer.

 

[oyabroch!]

Because the logic board alone costs more than US$100.

The NAND and LPDDR memory alone costs more than US$30.

If you really work in the electronics manufacturing industry, you would understand that everybody re-works logic boards.

1 man-hour in Shenzhen to save a $130 logic board? Should be a no-brainer.

"If you really work in the electronics manufacturing industry"

You do realise that it's a VAST industry, not limited to consumer grade devices, right? Yes, I know rework is done a LOT, but unless you have factual, first-hand proof that Apple do this, the point is irrelevant to my query. Let's push the train back onto the rails before it slides further off with vaguely-related speculations, can we. I can't see Apple shipping vast numbers of board to China, just for rework - yet again, as you are, I am speculating, but it sounds more logical to just pick a new one from the stockpile they are known to hold, replace it and get on - there's too much uncertainty involved with an ex-damaged board, I would posit.

Again, I do not know this, but then... neither of us know either side of the discussion, for fact, so let's abandon this one, thanks

 

[Mrbobb]

In this case Apple got no time to transferring whatever personal data u have on your old phone to refurb, AND be responsible for it.

 

[JPack]

"If you really work in the electronics manufacturing industry"

You do realise that it's a VAST industry, not limited to consumer grade devices, right? Yes, I know rework is done a LOT, but unless you have factual, first-hand proof that Apple do this, the point is irrelevant to my query.

Yes, I have physically seen a refurbished iPhone 6 Plus with clear indication the logic board had been reworked. This was replaced under the Multi-Touch Repair Program.

 

[oyabroch!]

Yes, I have physically seen a refurbished iPhone 6 Plus with clear indication the logic board had been reworked. This was replaced under the Multi-Touch Repair Program.

Okay, thank you

 

[JPack]

Apple employees say different. They only use main boards if they are of good condition and all other parts are new or located from strip down models. Melted, re-manufactured it whatever process they desire. All outer casings and battery are new. You will never see a replacement model with a defect, due to the refurbishment. Apart from the old iPhone 5 that came out the box with scratched bezels.

The majority of Apple Store employees wouldn't even know a soldering iron from a hot air station.

You would tell you the BGA reball stencil is a kitchen item from Walmart.

I agree the battery and outer chassis is replaced. But the logic board and display? Certainly not.

 

[oyabroch!]

In this case Apple got no time to transferring whatever personal data u have on your old phone to refurb, AND be responsible for it.

Apple request that you back up your iPhone, turn off "Find my iPhone" and erase devices prior to shipping them for repair. This point is irrelevant, as no sane person would ship a working unit WITH DATA, unless it was dead or damaged and thus it was unavoidable to do so.

See KB: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/ht201557
[doublepost=1528511032][/doublepost]

The majority of Apple Store employees wouldn't even know a soldering iron from a hot air station.

You would tell you the BGA reball stencil is a kitchen item from Walmart.

I agree the battery and outer chassis is replaced. But the logic board and display? Certainly not.

I sense some extreme speculation here - do you know "The majority of Apple Store employees"? Furthermore, it is not the Apple stores whom execute the refurbishing of Apple stock - they may do on-site replacement of a limited span of parts, and hold refurbished stock, but the refurbishment is way outside the scope of an Apple store - as if they don't have ENOUGH to do as it is.

I do not have the time nor inclination to meander further down this fruitless side-road of speculation, with respect. The query I had has been sufficiently answered, and I thank you for your input and help also with that, cheerio.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I, too, do not think that refurb are better. If the returned phone had an intermittent problem, it can be easily missed in the QC and sent out as a good unit only to fail with the new owner. I also do not think the people who reassemble the device are as trained as the original assemblers.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

Hi all.

Do Applecare actually, physically *replace* your battery when you send it in and pay your £25 under the battery replacement programme, or is this said in the same spirit as "refurbished" iPhones? It's known that "refurbished" iPhone stock units are actually BETTER than new stock, because they've had their parts stringently inspected, faulty/damaged ones replaced, have been soak tested and have received FAR more focused, personal up-close attention than production line units would have done, due to the knowledge that these phones were faulty/returned units, hence more scrutiny is employed to ensure a proper functioning unit.

This is absolute garbage. You don't believe everything Apple employees tell you, do you?

 

[bkrbyndr]

I have use Applecare+ a few times. And every time I was really happy with the result!! That's one of the reasons I love Apple. Their customer service is perfect!!

 

[BigDO]

I wouldn’t call it a myth. I bought a launch iPhone 4 and the speaker died . The replacement unit was like the best phone I ever owned in terms of durability. It went through a lot and only managed a small gouge in the bottom left area near the home button. Had a replacement iPhone 6 Plus because of a broken screen under Apple care because of something which I forgot and was better then my old one .

Sample size = 1; story definitely checks out. Myth busted.

 

[Closingracer]

Sample size = 1; story definitely checks out. Myth busted.

Because nobody else says it ? Yeah I’m not the only one.

 

[apolloa]

The correct answer to this question is like anything else, economics.
It’s a business, if it’s cheaper and faster to replace a battery they will, after all that’s all an Apple store will do.
If they damage your phone or their is a risk of damage then they will replace it as it’s faster to do so.

If you send the phone in I’d imagine they’ll just replace the battery as stocks will be good now I guess?

As for reliability, hmm, well my iPhone 4 and my 6S are tank like, been through a fair bit and my 6S is still going strong bar it’s battery. My 4 only had home button issues after a year and a half.

My 5 had the power button break in less then a year!
I didn’t keep the 7 long enough to know. And he same with the 8 although it felt in my hand to be better built then the 7.

I would get my 6S battery changed as well, it needs it, but only if I can walk in the store and have it done same day, I can’t drive to the store then back again 5 when the batteries in stock as it’s a 70 mile ish round trip! I’m in the U.K. too.

If you have an X or an 8 though then they’ll give you a refurbished device if you damage the back, that’s why it’s so expensive because they won’t repair it, they can’t, the camera is fused into the back or something I believe?

 

[bruinsrme]

In this case Apple got no time to transferring whatever personal data u have on your old phone to refurb, AND be responsible for it.

In the US, the store i frequent, you are asked if you have a back up.
Depending on the person they may strongly recommend going home and doing a back up to iCloud or a computer.

The customer will also sign a waiver stating they are aware the data maybe lost, prior to the repair/replacement.

The team will help you restore your phone.

I’ve seen it so many times people with tons of photos complain they lost them. How an about a little ownership of backing up your photos.

Its easy to replace a battery, if the adhesives cooperate. If not, the white box comes into play.