Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 6(S)/Plus I emailed Tim Cook about battery wait times and got a response.

Vermifuge

Vermifuge

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 7, 2009
2,067
1,589
So I have a few iPhone 6 generation phones on a family plan. One, an iPhone 6 was serviced before the mass hysteria. However another, an iPhone 6+ has been waiting for weeks. A 3rd iPhone (6+) was replaced about 7 months ago due to an expanding battery that had split the phone open. This phone still test's fine on geek bench.

The Phone is an iPhone 6 Plus and was tested by Apple to be at 81% health. Well within Apple's needs to be serviced window but still "healthy" according to Apple. Geek bench paints a much different picture. Scores are about 1/3 - 2/3 slower than should be expected for this model iPhone. Clearly the throttling is impacting the phones performance.

I first attempted getting a genius bar appointment last year but didn't actually get "on the waiting list for a battery" until Jan 10th. (about 5 days AFTER Apple determined the battery should be replaced.) I wanted about 10 days before following up to make sure everything was going according to schedule. That's when I was FIRST informed the wait could be several months. No one had mentioned this prior. This is when I first emailed the tcook account at Apple.

Fast forward about a month. Now well over 40 days since since talking to someone at Apple (and several months attempting to get an appointment) I hadn't heard a word from Apple. I haven't been called in for the battery replacement nor had I been contacted by Apple Management. It was about that time I read that Apple sill encourages people to email tcook, so I decided to give it another crack.

This time I got a response from Monica Arrieta an Apple 'Executive Liaison'

Her response, on behalf of Apple

"we're sorry"

I voiced my frustrations with Apple, the software Updates, the poor management of the battery situation over all, among a few other things. It wasn't an angry call and I guess I wasn't really expecting a resolution. She said several times she understands my frustration but basically... I'll get my battery when Apple is good and ready..

TL : DR I emailed Tim Cook and an Apple Executive Liaison to Tim Cook told me she is sorry I have had to wait so long and I just have to wait more. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Last edited:
I’m sure all his Executive Liaison’s deal with tons of emails daily concerning all sorts of complaints. I’m sure battery replacements aren’t going to improve until mid-summer possibly fall. Waiting is always the hardest part to get over
 
BugeyeSTI said:
I’m sure battery replacements aren’t going to improve until mid-summer possibly fall. Waiting is always the hardest part to get over
Click to expand...
Hopefully the next iOS release come out soon, so while folks are waiting for their batteries, they can make the choice to unthrottle their phones (if they want to).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vermifuge
BugeyeSTI said:
I’m sure all his Executive Liaison’s deal with tons of emails daily concerning all sorts of complaints. I’m sure battery replacements aren’t going to improve until mid-summer possibly fall. Waiting is always the hardest part to get over
Click to expand...

I think manufacturing these batteries and having the accessible amount for each store is on a whole another level for Apple, because they were not prepared for this situation as it unfolded. And given the influx of customers waiting, it’s going to be a long time before everybody will be serviced.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vermifuge
BugeyeSTI said:
I’m sure all his Executive Liaison’s deal with tons of emails daily concerning all sorts of complaints. I’m sure battery replacements aren’t going to improve until mid-summer possibly fall. Waiting is always the hardest part to get over
Click to expand...

The part that irks me is They made a software change that impacts performance but had no path in place to service the phones that are impacted. The phone would otherwise be working if it wasn't for the software change. Things like maps, camera, are impossible to use. The phone has been relegated for business needs but even taking screen shots and using the browser seems has been impacted.

I wouldn't mind waiting if they had not broken it in the first place. I just how the next iOS update lets me use it as normal.
[doublepost=1519762139][/doublepost]
Relentless Power said:
I think manufacturing these batteries and having the accessible amount for each store is on a whole another level for Apple, because they were not prepared for this situation as it unfolded. And given the influx of customers waiting, it’s going to be a long time before everybody will be serviced.
Click to expand...

Trust me I tally get that and the logistics involved. But they should have rolled back the cpu throttling until they had a handle on the battery replacement situation. Yeah I know software development blah blah blah, but they have rolled back software updates in the past. So it is possible.
[doublepost=1519762203][/doublepost]
noobinator said:
You can't fix a problem of this nature very quickly unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I only disagree because the phone was working prior to the OS update. Apple should have rolled back the change until the path for hardware servicing was cleared.
 
Relentless Power said:
I think manufacturing these batteries and having the accessible amount for each store is on a whole another level for Apple, because they were not prepared for this situation as it unfolded. And given the influx of customers waiting, it’s going to be a long time before everybody will be serviced.
Click to expand...
I understand they likely were not prepared for this situation and the magnitude with which it blew it up, but isn't that ironic considering they knew all along that the fix for the power throttling issue is to have your battery replaced? Unless I'm missing something, it's weird to me to think that they weren't prepared for battery replacements, but were secretly behind the scenes throttling a persons device until they got their battery replaced.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bruce Banner and Vermifuge
Cryates said:
I understand they likely were not prepared for this situation and the magnitude with which it blew it up, but isn't that ironic considering they knew all along that the fix for the power throttling issue is to have your battery replaced?.
Click to expand...

I don’t want to open up another debate regarding the whole throttling issue, as I am not interested in that. Apple was exposed unbeknownst to them from not being transparent, which then they had to develop an alternative plan to rectify the situation with the battery replacements. I think the underestimated the demand and now they have a situation where they need to manufacture the batteries accordingly based on demand, which they were not prepared for the masses.
 
Last edited:
Guess i was lucky as i my phone 6s was part of the free battery replacement. First person I chatted with said they couldn't help me and to keep checking local stores for a window. The second person ran a battery test as it was required regardless of my phones eligibility for the free battery replacement program. They verified i was eligible and forwarded my case to a battery team.

About a week later I received an email saying my battery was at my local Apple Store and I had 7 days to go in. I went in without an appointment. Waited about 90 minutes for the battery to be replaced and it works fine now.
[doublepost=1519762775][/doublepost]
Relentless Power said:
Apple was exploited unbeknownst to them from not being transparent,
Click to expand...

How were they exploited?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bruce Banner
Thor_1 said:
Guess i was lucky as i my phone 6s was part of the free battery replacement. First person I chatted with said they couldn't help me and to keep checking local stores for a window. The second person ran a battery test as it was required regardless of my phones eligibility for the free battery replacement program. They verified i was eligible and forwarded my case to a battery team.

About a week later I received an email saying my battery was at my local Apple Store and I had 7 days to go in. I went in without an appointment. Waited about 90 minutes for the battery to be replaced and it works fine now.
[doublepost=1519762775][/doublepost]

How were they exploited?
Click to expand...

A significant number of people are replacing battery's that are still in the 90s as far a battery health is concerned. In fact a far number of threads were created on this forum asking how one could artificially run down their battery health in hopes of getting their battery replaced sooner.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 44267547
Vermifuge said:
A significant number of people are replacing battery's that are still in the 90s as far a battery health is concerned. In fact a far number of threads were created on this forum asking how one could artificially run down their battery health in hopes of getting their battery replaced sooner.
Click to expand...

I thought the new program allowed for replacing regardless of health. Just pay $29.99.
 
  • Like
Reactions: aristobrat
Can you ask about the MBP keyboards too please?

Also - please ask for an SE2 in the same case design as the SE1

:)
 
Thor_1 said:
I thought the new program allowed for replacing regardless of health. Just pay $29.99.
Click to expand...
Same. I thought everyone gets a one-time $29.99 replacement, regardless of battery health. After that replacement, the battery needs to be below a certain level.
 
aristobrat said:
Same. I thought everyone gets a one-time $29.99 replacement, regardless of battery health. After that replacement, the battery needs to be below a certain level.
Click to expand...

Initially stores were turning away customers that had battery health above 80% Apple eventually changed the requirements by saying anyone could get a new battery installed for $29 regardless of health.
 
Vermifuge said:
Initially stores were turning away customers that had battery health above 80% Apple eventually changed the requirements by saying anyone could get a new battery installed for $29 regardless of health.
Click to expand...


Apple changed to "everyone" pretty quickly.

From what I understand the battery maker has now ramped up to full production and the time all should wait should be over sooner rather than later.
 
  • Like
Reactions: aristobrat
Vermifuge said:
Initially stores were turning away customers that had battery health above 80% Apple eventually changed the requirements by saying anyone could get a new battery installed for $29 regardless of health.
Click to expand...
Looks like this is the timeline for battery replacements (regarding throttling):

12/20 = Apple acknowledged throttling
12/28 = Apple announces $29 battery replacement (must fail Genius Bar test)
01/02 = Apple announces $29 battery replacement (doesn't have to fail Genius Bar test)

Looks like it took Apple about one week after announcing $29 batteries to drop the Genius Bar test requirement.

I get that some Apple Stores had a history of denying $79 warranty replacements if the device didn't fail the Genius Bar test, but I don't think there was enough "pent up demand" from that to have caused any shortage of batteries. IMO, it's when anyone could get one for $29 that things became very bleak very quickly.
 
Last edited:
jav6454 said:
I am still baffled at this debacle that has been blown out of proportions due to media fire.
Click to expand...

Lol. It was not blown out of proportion by anyone. People for years have said that Apple was slowing down older phones. They finally got caught. My iPhone 7 will be throttled by iOS 11.

I will wait till the battery rush is over and get it replaced too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pixel_junkie, WSPAN1C and turbineseaplane
Thor_1 said:
Lol. It was not blown out of proportion by anyone. People for years have said that Apple was slowing down older phones. They finally got caught. My iPhone 7 will be throttled by iOS 11.

I will wait till the battery rush is over and get it replaced too.
Click to expand...

And here we have an example of media fire and general misinformation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chekz0414, Atomic Walrus and 44267547
Having worked with an Apple Liason recently I have to say, IMO, things are changing at Apple and/or its pretty crazy right now.

In my case, I think my request was fair and reasonable but refused.

In your case, I think it’s different. I have recently spoken with an Apple employee and as the front line for decisions they had no part in making they are being hammered with support and battery requests. I won’t give any details but the numbers were pretty staggering. My advice would be try to take it easy on the folks in the store and front line support and if you do have to vent I would do so with the EL.

While I think the battery issue is overblown there is also a side of the general consumer who feels they have been mislead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back