Apple is going to start replacing worn out iPhone batteries for $29

[Uber Commuter]

You comparing what Apple did to Samsung's battery issue is completely ludicrous, they have nothing in common at all.

Have you ever heard of all the 3+ year old Samsung phones catching on fire because they overload their worn batteries?

Me either... Because older phones don't burst into flames when their batteries wear out; they simply discharge the battery faster.

What Apple did was 100% to boost their sales; they are just trying to cover their asses now, nothing more.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Uber Commuter

You comparing what Apple did to Samsung's battery issue is completely ludicrous, they have nothing in common at all.

They have the Lithium Ion battery in common.

Originally Posted by Uber Commuter

Have you ever heard of all the 3+ year old Samsung phones catching on fire because they overload their worn batteries?

Me either... Because older phones don't burst into flames when their batteries wear out; they simply discharge the battery faster.

Batteries usually have a BMS to avoid thermal runaway, but considering how small these batteries are getting and how tight of a space they fit into, heat is one one thing that is hard to control without reducing load. Load, in this case, is the demands that the iOS demands of it. They don't usually burst into flames because 3+ year old Samsung phones probably do the exact same thing that Apple phones do... they reduce load by slowing down processes OR they cut load by crashing the system. Guess what 3+ year old Samsungs with bad batteries do? They crash or they run slow... like old iPhones.

Originally Posted by Uber Commuter

What Apple did was 100% to boost their sales; they are just trying to cover their asses now, nothing more.

What apple did WAS to boost sales but it was ALSO so that the batteries wouldn't vent/expand/overheat etc. I'm not excusing apple at all, they killed 2 birds with one stone. I still think iOS throttling is necessary to keep the older batteries from damaging themselves and avoiding thermal runaway and I'm glad they lowered the price on battery swaps. Again, I'll repeat myself because it seems you just wanted to argue against anything that isn't a total rip on Apple: They should have been more transparent for the consumer to make an informed decision.

[JohnnyCanuck]

Originally Posted by jmg

What apple did WAS to boost sales but it was ALSO so that the batteries wouldn't vent/expand/overheat etc. I'm not excusing apple at all, they killed 2 birds with one stone. I still think iOS throttling is necessary to keep the older batteries from damaging themselves and avoiding thermal runaway and I'm glad they lowered the price on battery swaps. Again, I'll repeat myself because it seems you just wanted to argue against anything that isn't a total rip on Apple: They should have been more transparent for the consumer to make an informed decision.

No. If Apple did it because of a risk, then they were compelled to publicize it and encourage users to upgrade the OS. Apple didn't do it to prevent anything like thermal runaway because that would have mandated them to be public about it.

I actually agree Apple did the right thing in slowing the phones. It's the decision to keep silent and let the frustration of users lead them to buy new phones that's the problem. They made that decision purely for sales and nothing else. That's what they're being criticized for and there is no credible defense to the conduct. It is contemptuously anti-consumer which pretty much describes exactly who Apple is and have been for a good decade or so.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCanuck

No. If Apple did it because of a risk, then they were compelled to publicize it and encourage users to upgrade the OS. Apple didn't do it to prevent anything like thermal runaway because that would have mandated them to be public about it.

That goes hand in hand.

Originally Posted by JohnnyCanuck

I actually agree Apple did the right thing in slowing the phones. It's the decision to keep silent and let the frustration of users lead them to buy new phones that's the problem.

That's what I'm saying.

[bimmer456]

It appears they're not going to test the battery first and just replace it for $29. In the past they've replaced the battery in the iphone 5 for free but with a test even though it was outside of warranty. I had replaced the battery myself when it was losing capacity but was just outside of warranty. The kit cost $12 on ebay so I think it is a marketing gimic by ifixit to offer a $29 kit where you still have to install the battery yourself. I can see this as being a "deal" if you have a device older than the iphone 6 but if you can get a kit for $12 then not so much. I was going to see if apple would replace my new battery when the subsequently issued a recall but they did a test and saw it was fine rather than just replacing although this was a free repair.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

It appears they're not going to test the battery first and just replace it for $29. In the past they've replaced the battery in the iphone 5 for free but with a test even though it was outside of warranty. I had replaced the battery myself when it was losing capacity but was just outside of warranty. The kit cost $12 on ebay so I think it is a marketing gimic by ifixit to offer a $29 kit where you still have to install the battery yourself. I can see this as being a "deal" if you have a device older than the iphone 6 but if you can get a kit for $12 then not so much. I was going to see if apple would replace my new battery when the subsequently issued a recall but they did a test and saw it was fine rather than just replacing although this was a free repair.

The good thing about using Apple to fix your battery in store is that they will replace your phone with a new one if something goes wrong... which it does more often than you think simply because the internals are so tight and delicate. I paid $79 for a new battery for my iPhone 6 Plus. It turned out that the battery had expanded and damaged my screen and the internals so they just gave me a brand spanking new iPhone 6 Plus.

[Uber Commuter]

Originally Posted by jmg

They have the Lithium Ion battery in common.

Wasn't talking about the battery itself, don't be obtuse.

Originally Posted by jmg

Batteries usually have...

I know very well what batteries have, but thanks. I've been in telecomm for 30 years...

Your assessment is still wrong, however. You can wipe an old Samsung phone and reload it, and it will run as if new without any trouble. You cannot do that with an iPhone because Apple forces it to run slower even if you reboot it.

Originally Posted by jmg

What apple did WAS to boost sales

Agreed

Originally Posted by jmg

but it was ALSO...

Wrong.

Apple slowed the phones because they saw a business opportunity. They used the excuse that it may "help" protect the phones, but it is minimal at best and not an actual issue or concern even if the phone remained at full speed, because they already have protections built in for overheat situations...

Originally Posted by jmg

Again, I'll repeat myself because it seems you just wanted to argue against anything that isn't a total rip on Apple:

Also wrong.

I don't hate Apple and never did. I have an iPhone for work, and half my family uses Apple products.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Uber Commuter

Wasn't talking about the battery itself, don't be obtuse.

I know very well what batteries have, but thanks. I've been in telecomm for 30 years...

Your assessment is still wrong, however. You can wipe an old Samsung phone and reload it, and it will run as if new without any trouble. You cannot do that with an iPhone because Apple forces it to run slower even if you reboot it.

Agreed

Wrong.

Apple slowed the phones because they saw a business opportunity. They used the excuse that it may "help" protect the phones, but it is minimal at best and not an actual issue or concern even if the phone remained at full speed, because they already have protections built in for overheat situations...

Also wrong.

I don't hate Apple and never did. I have an iPhone for work, and half my family uses Apple products.

I'm not the one being obtuse.

[RickFLM4]

Has anyone completed the battery replacement at an Apple Store?

I made an appointment but then received an email to call customer support to order the battery. I did and they cancelled the appointment, telling me I would be notified when the battery arrived, at which time I could go in to get it installed without an appointment. I later received an email notification that the battery was at the store and went into the store.

When I got there I had no idea where to go so went to the back of the store where it looked like employees were tending to customer products and waited. When someone freed up they called a name so I asked if I was supposed to check in somewhere. I was directed to someone in the middle of the store to check me in (which I would have never figured out without asking). Anyway, after another 10-15 minutes, a third person found me to get my phone and to my surprise told me it would be about 2 hours so I would need to leave the phone. There was no notice of the 2 hours when I called Apple, got the email or checked in so I was a bit surprised and actually couldn’t leave my phone for 2 hours at that particular time, so I left, moderately annoyed about the wasted trip and time.

I was thinking of going back this weekend but started wondering if people are leaving their phones there unlocked such that Apple Store employees can access personal information. When the person was taking my phone, she wanted to check to make sure my phone was backed up so she took it out of my hand and started looking at settings before she was about to just walk away with the phone.

So, back to my original question, has anyone completed this process and, if so, did you just leave your phone there unlocked? Or did you erase it and restore it after getting it back? Seems odd they have access to anything they want on customer phones for 2 hours.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Has anyone completed the battery replacement at an Apple Store?

I made an appointment but then received an email to call customer support to order the battery. I did and they cancelled the appointment, telling me I would be notified when the battery arrived, at which time I could go in to get it installed without an appointment. I later received an email notification that the battery was at the store and went into the store.

When I got there I had no idea where to go so went to the back of the store where it looked like employees were tending to customer products and waited. When someone freed up they called a name so I asked if I was supposed to check in somewhere. I was directed to someone in the middle of the store to check me in (which I would have never figured out without asking). Anyway, after another 10-15 minutes, a third person found me to get my phone and to my surprise told me it would be about 2 hours so I would need to leave the phone. There was no notice of the 2 hours when I called Apple, got the email or checked in so I was a bit surprised and actually couldnÂ’t leave my phone for 2 hours at that particular time, so I left, moderately annoyed about the wasted trip and time.

I was thinking of going back this weekend but started wondering if people are leaving their phones there unlocked such that Apple Store employees can access personal information. When the person was taking my phone, she wanted to check to make sure my phone was backed up so she took it out of my hand and started looking at settings before she was about to just walk away with the phone.

So, back to my original question, has anyone completed this process and, if so, did you just leave your phone there unlocked? Or did you erase it and restore it after getting it back? Seems odd they have access to anything they want on customer phones for 2 hours.

I have completed the process. My phone happened to be wiped out because I had done a fresh install. If you feel uncomfortable just back your phone up then do a factory reset. You can restore it after they fix the phone. Note that I have left my other phone at the store in the past unlocked full of my personal information.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by jmg

It's not JUST contempt. It's physics. The batteries get less efficient as they age, and overloading them will cause problems with the batteries like expansion and maybe even venting. Remember the samsung phones catching fire? By the ios slowing down for older batteries, this is exactly what apple was trying to prevent.

The outrage is a bit convoluted people are mad that they devices are slowing down. They are right, but Apple is actually doing something right slowing them down. Who wants their iphones to catch fire? This is a good safety "feature".
Yes, it's a feature, because Samsung didn't have it and their phones caught fire.

Apple's problem is that they did not fully inform consumers what it had been doing for years. A negative side effect being that consumers felt tricked into upgrading because they thought their devices were slowing down because they were getting more obsolete, which was not true: they could have just replaced their batteries for $79. Shame on Apple for that.

What apple should have done is what they are doing now, informing the consumer and making it relatively easy and affordable to replace the battery. No, having a removable battery is not the solution, because a big part of what makes the iphone an iphone is the form factor. Equipping an iphone with a removable battery slot would destroy that. I think the $29 solution is pretty good. $15 would be better, but, hey, it's still Apple and they still have APPL to think about.

In summary, Apple did the right thing protecting against overloaded batteries, but they took advantage of it by not informing the consumer which influenced more upgrades/sales. Yes, I think slowing down the ios is a good idea with older batteries, so long as replacing them brings it up to speed again. Apple needs to be more transparent when it comes to these issues so that consumer trust is maintained. No, replaceable batteries are not the answer, and not slowing down the ios is not the answer. Affordable and convenient battery replacements are the answer.

Thank you. So many tin foil hat wearers out there.

Just slapped a new battery in my iPhone. Cost $10 and took me 20 mins. Some people......

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by jmg

I have completed the process. My phone happened to be wiped out because I had done a fresh install. If you feel uncomfortable just back your phone up then do a factory reset. You can restore it after they fix the phone. Note that I have left my other phone at the store in the past unlocked full of my personal information.

Yeah I figured backing up and doing a factory reset / restore is the only way to be safe. Aside from personal information, I’ve got business email on it. Seems unlikely an Apple Store employee will have the time or inclination to go through each customer’s phone but I wouldn’t leave it unlocked anywhere else either.

[Torgus]

What Apple did was flat out wrong on so many levels and was a cash grab. Don't tell me they didn't run the numbers. They are in business to make money and have an obligation to the share holders and the board.

[bimmer456]

So currently this is $29, but do you have to mail in your iPhone? What are you supposed to do in the meantime, be without a phone? Wondering what your experience is with this.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

So currently this is $29, but do you have to mail in your iPhone? What are you supposed to do in the meantime, be without a phone? Wondering what your experience is with this.

just go to an apple store, make an appt though

took about 1 hour or so for me

[Never_Enough]

What about on a iPod classic?

[yco]

great price though..

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Never_Enough

What about on a iPod classic?

It's $79 unless it's a newer iPhone.
https://support.apple.com/iphone/rep...s::applesearch

[Never_Enough]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

It's $79 unless it's a newer iPhone.
https://support.apple.com/iphone/rep...s::applesearch

I can buy another iPod for that

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Never_Enough

I can buy another iPod for that

Lol yeah more of a DIY project. I replaced my iPhone 5 battery myself the battery cost me $12. They eventually did a recall on the battery to replace it for free but that was after I already replaced mine.