Apple will upgrade some iPhone 6 Plus units in need of repair

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iPhone 6 Plus
You may be in for a treat when you visit the Genius Bar.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you have an iPhone 6 Plus in need of replacement, you could be in line for an upgrade to iPhone 6s Plus. An internal document distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers gives permission for units to be upgraded until the end of March, though no reason is given.

Apple states that “orders for whole unit service inventory of some iPhone 6 Plus models may be substituted to an iPhone 6s Plus until the end of March 2018,” according to the document obtained by MacRumors and confirmed by “multiple sources.”

Some iPhone 6 Plus owners will get an upgrade

Apple doesn’t specify which models qualify for the upgrade, nor does it provide a reason for the swap. It is believed the move has something to do with the severely short supply of iPhone 6 Plus batteries, which is holding up Apple’s new replacement program.

Apple no longer manufactures the iPhone 6 Plus, according to recent reports, but it is believed that the company has rebooted production to replenish stock of both the device itself, and replacement batteries. This is a process that obviously takes a lot of time.

Whether you qualify for a replacement depends on what’s wrong with your device. Apple and many Authorized Service Providers can replace certain components individually, including the Retina HD display, cameras, speakers, and more.

What’s more, it’s not clear if the upgrade applies to all regions. Don’t assume you’ll be offered an upgrade when you take your iPhone 6 Plus in for repair, then.

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