iPod batery suckage ?

[onetimer]

Ok, im thinking of buying an ipod, but i just heard some disturbing rumors about it from a friend..

The thing I heard:
The iPod batery lasts for about 18 months, and then (often) goes dead on you. When calling apple support, you get the message its not in the garanty periode, and must buy a replacement batery for about $250.. >> which is about the price of an new iPod....

Some guys got so fead up they made a short movie:
ipod dirty secret



Anyone knows more about this (please dont rant & stuff, thats not why i posted this)


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[LimeLite]

Here's the truth: The iPods battery, like pretty much any battery ever made, is not designed to last forever. It lasts approximately 800 charges. Meaning, if it's constantly plugged in, or if you keep charging it all the way up after minimal use, then it will have a shorter life span. As far as the replacement costing $250, that is incorrect. There is now an iPod replacement program through Apple that costs $99. Or, there is also AppleCare for the iPod now, which extends the complimentary 1 year warranty to two year, and extends the 90 days of phone support to two years as well. If the battery indeed dies in 18 months, like the makers of that slanderous website would have you believe, then by purchasing a $59 AppleCare package, you'd get a replacement battery, and be covered for any other problems.

 

[caveman_uk]

My ipod is new so I can only quote what I've heard. Apparently yes the battery does eventually hold less of a charge as time goes on. Apples response USED to be - "Tough. Buy a new ipod". There is now a battery replacement service link that'll replace your dead ipod with a 'functionally equivalent new, used, or refurbished iPod' - so you won't get yours back - this costs $99 and is only available in the US. There are third party vendors that sell replacement batteries. Some also fit them as well. For example http://www.ipodbattery.com sells replacements for $50 but won't sell outside of North America unless you order $3000 worth (I guess they don't want our cash, eh?)

 

[onetimer]

Originally posted by LimeLite
It lasts approximately 800 charges.

Ok, so on normal use the batery should last:
batery time = 8:00
hours per day = 4:00
charges = 800
> Batery / day = 2 (batery time / hours per day)
> Lifetime = 1600 days (charges x batery/day)
> lifetime years = 1600 / 365 = about 4,5 year

Originally posted by LimeLite
There is now an iPod replacement program through Apple that costs $99.

Hmm ok..

Originally posted by LimeLite
Or, there is also AppleCare for the iPod now, ....... by purchasing a $59 AppleCare package, you'd get a replacement battery, and be covered for any other problems.

besides the first 2 comments, this is prety lame, "hey the batery is bad, but we have waranty for $59 more so its up to you".

 

[LethalWolfe]

onetimer,

That craptacular movie is one person's (well, one pair of brothers) personal experience with one iPod. Their experience w/batt life seems to be way out-of-average and could very well be the result of "abusing" the iPod (more on this in a second).

Limelight,
AFAIK the iPod uses a Lithium-Ion battery, and all the products I own that have Lithium-Ion batteries strongly warnagainst running the battery way down before recharging it. LI batteries do not develop "memories" like older tech batteries so there is no need for complete discharge before recharge. In fact, running LI batteries way down before recharing them can shorten battery life and running them completely down can damage the battery (this is the possible "abuse" I mentioned). LI batteries like to be recharged often. I try to charge mine after they drop down to 75% or 60%.


Lethal

 

[xtc-jjc]

IPOD SCAM

Yes, it IS true!! I have one of the first IPODS. It died on me 1 week AFTER my warranty ended. I called Apple, and was told that it would cost about $250 to fix it. OUCH!! I could buy a brand new one for a little more than that at the time. When I told Apple this, they said "great...go buy a new one."

You see, Apple did NOT offer the AppleCare for IPOD when I bought mine. They offer it now. They did NOT offer a battery replacement program at the time. They do now. It took that student movie and the threat of legal action to get APPLE to wake the hell up. Finally.

I would have bought a brand new IPOD, but all of my songs were stored on my old IPOD. My computer crashed something terrible, so I lost the copies of about 1200 songs that I had stored on my computer. The ONLY place those songs reside is in my broken IPOD. Now that I just found out that they are offering a battery replacement program for $99, I will buy the battery and finally be able to retreive these 1200 songs that I've been withouth for about 6 months.

Apple is lucky they didn't get sued.

- xtc-jjc -

 

[nickfit]

xtc-jjc, just because batteries die is no reason for a lawsuit. As for getting your songs off your old ipod, there are hacks that will allow you to get your songs off. You will have to do this even if you use the replacement program, since if you read it, the program states that they actually replace the whole ipod. You have other options too, such as buying a third party battery and replacing it yourself. I there is a site, I don't recall where but I a am sure google will help you find it, that has batteries and instructions for replacing it. I think they cost about 50 bucks. That movie forgot to mention this little tidbit.