The wait for an iPhone replacement battery has reportedly shrunk to little or nothing. This is good news for anyone with an older model who wants to take up Apple’s offer of a new battery at a discount price.
The company will swap out an aging battery for just $29, less than half what it used to cost, as an apology for surreptitiously throttling some devices.
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers reportedly received notification that “service inventory of all iPhone replacement batteries is now available without delay.”
Earlier this year, soon after CEO Tim Cook made his offer to knock $50 off the cost of battery replacements, customers were waiting weeks to get a fresh one.
Just be aware, Apple’s notification doesn’t mean that all Apple Stores and repair providers have an unlimited supply of every type of iPhone battery. But if the location you choose doesn’t have the necessary one in stock, Apple can provide it without delay other than shipping time.
iPhone replacement battery brouhaha
In December, Apple admitted that it was surreptitiously slowing down older iPhone models, claiming it was doing so because otherwise the devices could crash when their processor required more power than their aging batteries could deliver. This set off a firestorm of accusations that the real goal was to force users to upgrade to newer iPhones. Numerous class action lawsuits have been filed since this revelation.
In an attempt to calm the furor, CEO Tim Cook promised to reduce the price of a battery replacement for the older phones. That includes any model since the iPhone SE and iPhone 6. Older devices aren’t included. Nor are any iPads.
Obviously, Apple hadn’t pre-planned to make this offer and wasn’t stockpiling batteries for the iPhone 6, etc. To make sourcing more complicated, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are out of production. There was a big rush at the beginning of this year, and it took until now for Apple Apple to catch up with demand.
Check your battery
The batteries used in all brands of phones have a limited number of charge/discharge cycles, and with regular use the amount of current each will hold gradually decreases. A replacement starts this process all over again, potentially adding years to the useful life of the device.
With the release of iOS 11.3 came a battery health tool that quickly shows how much the original battery has degraded over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health (Beta) to perform the test. Anything close to 80 percent or below should definitely be replaced.
There’s no need to rush, as Tim Cook’s offer of an iPhone replacement battery at a discount is good for the rest of this year. Just be aware, if you decide to go for a replacement, Apple might try to stick you with additional repairs.
Source: MacRumors
