Wait Times for iPhone Battery Replacements Increasing

[Baymowe335]

So basically the same wait times as before?

Lol, these devices are over 3 years old in many cases. What’s 2-3 weeks to get a brand new battery for $29 professionally installed?

Go to Android and see what kind of after sale service you get. And btw, those batteries need replacement too...I had to do it with Android many times.

 

[Soccertess]

Most of these devices are out of warrenty. Are you kidding me! The fact that Apple is even providing this service is awesome. If you are in such a hurry ,just get iFixit or some other company to replace the battery. I have done it ,previously on my iPhone 4(5 years of use) , iPhone 5S(5 years of use). The 5S is still used by a family member.

What world do you live in! What other phone in the world makes you wait that long for a replacement. You know how easy it is to change most phone batteries? Apple is the one who decided to start using adhesives on batteries and wanting to change out all batteries themselves!

 

[B4U]

Seriously?
If you bring in an old phone (6) that's ion iOS 9.x for a battery swap (or repair) Apple won't touch it unless they "brick it" with iOS 11 first? That's crap.

They would claim that they need to wipe it clean before the battery can be replaced.
Then I need to restore the phone but since they don't sign the iOS 9 anymore, then it is bricked with iOS 11.
They can keep their bloody hell iOS 11 from my 6s.

 

[Technarchy]

it's almost hilarious to see people here defending Apple in this case, like they own the company

It is pretty gross.

I really like Apple but these recent antics are jumping the shark times 11.

I’m personally sitting out Apple upgrades for awhile. The direction of things is concerning. When you are as big as Apple, it gets harder to make enough money to placate wall steeet and keep up the illusion of infinit growth. Questionable antics will become more prevalent.

 

[true god]

Mighty Apple cannot handle batteries. Amazing.

 

[Mcmeowmers]

Took me less than a week for the whole process despite their email stating 4-5 weeks.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Then make an appointment in May for November.

Like I said, I’m not in a hurry to get the battery. The Apple stores usually would honor their end of the bargain if it’s due to the lack of components.

 

[mcnasti]

I mean, most people that go into the Apple store for a battery replacement don't need it, and this affects people that really need battery replacements. Blame your fellow peers that want a cheap battery because they feel that they are "owed" it.

 

[Baymowe335]

What world do you live in! What other phone in the world makes you wait that long for a replacement. You know how easy it is to change most phone batteries? Apple is the one who decided to start using adhesives on batteries and wanting to change out all batteries themselves!

Changing a battery in a Samsung flagship is just as difficult. The iPhone battery doesn’t use adhesive...it has pull tabs and can be changed in minutes.

Get your facts straight.

iPhone is probably 6-8 times more popular than Samsung Galaxy phones, so it will take some time. This isn’t magic...there are probably 600M iPhones that are iPhone 6 or later.

 

[mcnasti]

Even with a new battery, modern apps are optimized for the lastest and fastest processors and will run slower on older equipment. I suspect many will be disappointed that a new battery doesn’t suddenly make an older device perform like the newest devices. Now Apple could go the Android route and simply not allow older devices to upgrade software for as long, but then people would complain that they were forcing obsolescence there too. It really is a no-win situation for Apple. But unlike Android, which has dozens of hardware vendors, it is easy to target Apple specifically even though battery degradation is not unique to the iPhone.
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As long as owners of older devices temper their expectations. A new battery does not change an older device’s ability to handle newer software and software updates.

This is probably the best thing I've read thus far

 

[J12300]

Called last week on Thursday and Apple informed me it could take 2-4 weeks to get a battery. Then told me that a local company that they use in the Bay Area might have them in stock, called Mobile Kangaroo--Apple proceeded to call them for me and set up a appt for the next day. I went in next day and they replaced the battery within a hour.

What a difference as my original battery had to be charged every 10-12hrs with moderate usage or 7-8 hrs with heavy usage---Now it lasts a whole day but I see the above post about Modern apps, iPhone 6 is still slow, but thats fine for now as I expected that with new system 11

 

[jasvncnt]

nope. It was an extra service. They are doing the best they can.
Other companies wont even do that.

Other companies don't have to

 

[tugger]

I gave up having an Apple Store handle my iPhone 6 battery replacement. They were totally swamped with folks wanting appointments and couldn't tell me when they would have stock. So I called a local Apple Authorized Repair shop 5 weeks ago, got on their wait list, and the swap will be done day after tomorrow. I'm obviously happy there was a nearby alternative to the Apple Store.

As far as people getting angry about the wait, I think everyone has their priorities, perspectives and expectations about the situation and it's not up to me to tell them they should feel differently. But in things like this I tend to be totally chill because I sincerely say to myself "it ain't cancer," and I immediately relax and feel grateful.

 

[velocityg4]

I can just see it now. You ask for a replacement battery. They walk in the back. Look at crates stacked to the ceiling full of batteries. Then come back. "Sorry... the wait time will be at least two months. You can buy an iPhone 8 instead of waiting."

 

[zed1291]

I was told I could get a free battery replacement. When I got there, the Genuis was extremely rude, and told me I was making things up. She kept telling me my phone was out of warranty. Which I knew. I had a live chat where they said I could get a free battery under a program, so I called the Apple store to confirm. They told me they wanted to charge me. I called Apple Where another genuis told me it would be free and there would be case notes for the store to look at. I go there, there’s no case notes, and the store wants to charge me. Then I call Apple again, they tell me it’s going to be free and to update my software and they would call me back. I updated the software, never got a call back. I’ve spent hours dealing with this issue. Not happy with Apple. Very rude service where they were calling me a liar in the store at the Rockaway location in NJ after waiting weeks for my battery to come in. I denied the service as Apple wont see a dime from me until this issue is fixed.

The people who said it'd be free are the ones who are incorrect. Also, I doubt "liar" is the word an Apple employee used.

Was it your expectation that you'd get a free battery the lens with which you were viewing those who said it wasn't free why you got the impression the Apple employee was rude?

The person on the phone wasn't a Genius. Geniuses do the repairs and take mostly Mac appointments at the bar. This is honestly part of the problem during this high volume situation, people in an entry level position are having to reset extremely incorrect expectations without having the confidence of an extremely high level of technical knowledge to back it up.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Just in case you didn't realize, you're on a Apple fan web site and you're clearly not a fan of anything was Apple.

I’m a fan of Apple that payed attention to its hardware and software; not Apple throttling hardware and becoming the poster boy of corporate crooks while trying to be the poster boy of social good.

Batteries in the 6s turned out to be junk from the factory. It makes me wonder if Apple created a phone to hungry for power from the beginning and needed to throttle it to stop it from shutting down due to a failure in the chip power requirements and the battery that was originally put in the phone.
[doublepost=1519794814][/doublepost]

The people who said it'd be free are the ones who are incorrect. Also, I doubt "liar" is the word an Apple employee used.

Was it your expectation that you'd get a free battery the lens with which you were viewing those who said it wasn't free why you got the impression the Apple employee was rude?

The person on the phone wasn't a Genius. Geniuses do the repairs and take mostly Mac appointments at the bar. This is honestly part of the problem during this high volume situation, people in an entry level position are having to reset extremely incorrect expectations without having the confidence of an extremely high level of technical knowledge to back it up.

I was told I would be getting a free battery under a replacement program and have had multiple phone calls with Apple about this, I took it in and the store said it didn’t qualify after 2 chats with Apple and 2 phone calls and a part delivered to the store.

And you’re only making my point by saying their customer service was providing bad info. This used to be Apples core, good customer service and support. Now I get misinformation from the very first person I talk to? Come on.

 

[zed1291]

Seriously?
If you bring in an old phone (6) that's ion iOS 9.x for a battery swap (or repair) Apple won't touch it unless they "brick it" with iOS 11 first? That's crap.

That's incorrect. As long as you're running iOS 8.3 or higher Apple's diagnostics can run on your iPhone. If someone has to update their iPhone for a repair it's likely because the 3D Touch calibration machines require iOS 10.2 or higher to complete a display calibration (non-3D touch calibration machines only need iOS 7 or higher).

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple got caught throttling customers phone without their consent. Sometimes even with perfect fine battery, iOS still throttling the phone. If Apple hasn’t done that, they didn’t even need to offer 29 dollar battery replacement.

Apple has been using some cheap, less quality battery lately and it showing with all these iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S shutdowns, sometimes even with good battery.

Apple got sued for the throttling and Apple is offering this as last minutes PR. Apple should pay for their mistake and customer shouldn’t pay for what Apple did.

iPhone 6 and 6s were affected by battery issues. Why is Apple extending the $29 battery replacement to include the iPhone SE and 7 then? Those weren't affected.

Yes, Apple got caught throttling. They messed up by not being straight forward with owners. Still doesn't change the fact that (IMO) Apple is going above and beyond, particularly so for unaffected SE and 7 owners.

 

[bmark]

The lack of respect people feel they should give the people servicing these phones is mind boggling. People acting like they’re owed something, when the company is basically doing an extraordinary act of goodwill, replacing often perfectly healthy batteries at a loss just so the owners of the devices can berate and belittle people.

If you’re calling this a debacle, you should take a long hard look at how you appreciate those working around you.

Apple created this battery nightmare by throttling devices. This is no act of goodwill employed by Apple. More like a desperate PR stunt to get customers to upgrade to the latest device instead of waiting forever for the battery replacement. I appreciate everyone around me but still waiting 2-3 months for a battery replacement is ludicrous. Apple has caused it’s loyal customers to lose faith in their juggernaut empire. Samsung seems to be looking better and better every day. The notch iPhone X was a hideous design that should have never been released.

 

[simonmet]

Keep increasing wait times until people give up.

Yep. Seems all too convenient doesn’t it. Apple is desperate to cling onto its main tool of planned obscelence.

 

[alexhardaker]

I was told I could get a free battery replacement. When I got there, the Genuis was extremely rude, and told me I was making things up. She kept telling me my phone was out of warranty. Which I knew. I had a live chat where they said I could get a free battery under a program, so I called the Apple store to confirm. They told me they wanted to charge me. I called Apple Where another genuis told me it would be free and there would be case notes for the store to look at. I go there, there’s no case notes, and the store wants to charge me. Then I call Apple again, they tell me it’s going to be free and to update my software and they would call me back. I updated the software, never got a call back. I’ve spent hours dealing with this issue. Not happy with Apple. Very rude service where they were calling me a liar in the store at the Rockaway location in NJ after waiting weeks for my battery to come in. I denied the service as Apple wont see a dime from me until this issue is fixed.

Email Tim

 

[simonmet]

I replaced my 6S's battery myself for $26 and 20 minutes of my time just before Apple announced the discounted replacement offer. I might still do it myself since it was more about the personal time savings than anything. Still, I think the only real issue is that Apple didn't disclose the severe throttling for the sake of stability (I estimated about a 30% drop in performance from my crude testing).

My old battery was tired, it had hundreds of cycles on it, but I was surprised to see Coconut Battery claiming it was still at 89% capacity. Even throttled, the old battery struggled to make it through a day. I don't blame Apple for the fact that the battery was shot--I just wish they had told us why our phones felt like they were running so slow. They let iOS11 take the heat, when it was the throttling, not the OS. Interestingly enough, I have noticed a few app crashes, though that just started happening now, almost 2 months after I replaced the battery.

One thing to consider is how much abuse our phones get. They ride around in a 98F pocket, are exposed to the elements and temperature extremes, get beat around, and probably see a least 4-5 hours of use every single day. After a couple years, that's easily 3,000+ hours--probably way more than that for many people. We probably don't ask that much out of any other battery-powered device we own.

Your post highlights a critical issue which has been noted elsewhere yet some people here still fail to see:

Apple’s 80% diagnostic test was and probably still is deeply flawed. Apple knows it. If it wasn’t, why did batteries with hundreds of cycles on them (> 600 in my case) that could barely last an hour or two pass the test? Why did batteries suffering automatic shutdowns with 20-30% remaining pass the test? Why, as in your case, was a battery that’s supposedly 89% of original capacity which passes the test and is therefore considered by them to be sufficiently “healthy” require a 30% throttle, with the user (until now) not even offered the chance to pay full-price for a retail replacement?

The answer to all these questions is of course that Apple want(ed) you to suffer degraded battery and device performance for as long as possible, and for it to gradually worsen until the only solution was to buy a new phone. There is simply no other logical or sane explanation for their behaviour. Apple for a long time sneakily used battery life and, more recently, device performance as their main tools of “planned obsolescence” until they were caught out. Now, as I said above, they seem hell-bent on trying to cling on to it as much as they can by making the replacement program as slow and difficult to access as possible without risking further lawsuits. I fully expect them to develop new software-based strategies to implement planned obsolescence again in future.

It seems that the proportion of maximum charge capacity compared with new was either poorly measured or understood, and/or (more likely) has little to do with the overall health of a battery. For example, the battery may “think” it’s been charged to that capacity, and possibly even has, but the chemistry may be such that it can’t deliver anywhere near it, and especially not in a stable stream.

 

[Black Tiger]

Mighty Apple cannot handle batteries. Amazing.

They don’t build them. Their suppliers do. So their suppliers are to “blame” if you think there is some blame.

 

[Zangetsucar15]

I have worked for an Apple Premium Service Provider for 8 months. And I have seen the absolute worst out of people because of this battery fiasco. It’s completely asinine the way that people act about this, and it has completely changed my view of people. As many are crying over nothing, and there is no excuse for people to act as horribly as they do to me and my coworkers. People should be very grateful that Apple gave them an opportunity to do this because other companies would have never done that. It’s made our workplace a living hell from literal mountains of battery paperwork and boxes, and almost everyone yelling to the point where people want to quit. So maybe when you walk into an Apple Store or Premium Service Provider, you should think about how awful it has been and will continue to be bad for us. Because Apple never gave us a heads up. They just threw us under the bus, and we are all suffering for it.

 

[Piggie]

May I say 100%
Nope make that 1000% Serves Apple right.

Why do I say that?

Because Apple (Steve Jobs) Started this bloody stupid/dumb concept of lets seal in a battery to a phone.
Then, as consumers bought the dam things without thinking, other companies saw this, and like idiots copied Apple, and now we are in the mess we are, thanks to bloody Apple and Steve Jobs.

The very very VERT best thing that could ever come out of this fiasco, for the consumer, would be a redesign of the iPhone, which meant it was easy to replace the battery without taking the device apart.

Be that a removable back, a slide out side option. Anything.
We had thin phones and removable/user replaceable batteries for years and no one complained.

Of course, I don't think this will happen as we are too far down the road now, with the "let's glue it all together" mind-set.
But I live in hope that one day, sensible people will get listened to, and not dumb "aesthetic only matters "designers, and, like way a few years ago, batteries will be easy to replace again.