Apple Offers iPhone 6 Or Above Out Of Warranty Battery Replacement Credit

Apple is offering a $50 credit to customers who paid for an out of warranty battery replacement for iPhone 6 or later devices between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 28, 2017. Eligible battery replacements were completed at an Apple authorized service location, Apple Store, Apple Repair Center, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. 

The credit will be provided as an electronic funds transfer or a credit on the credit card used to pay for the battery replacement service. Eligible customers will be contacted by Apple via email between May 23, 2018 and July 27, 2018 with instructions on how to obtain the credit.

If you haven’t received an email from Apple by Aug. 1, 2018, but believe you are eligible for a credit based on the terms above, contact Apple by Dec. 31, 2018. Note that proof of service at an Apple authorized service location may be required.

Wait Time For iPhone Battery Replacement Increases

In a note to clients Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz says the current wait times for iPhone battery availability have gone up to 3-4.5 weeks after a series of calls to Apple Stores. The longest wait of any Apple Store was found to be 9-10 weeks. A few weeks ago the average wait time was pegged at 2-4.5 weeks, with a forecast for steady improvements. While the research group was surprised by the increased wait times, Barclays says that, overall, the customer response to the replacement program is on track with its previous estimates. In January, Moskowitz forecasted that about 50 million iPhone users would take advantage of the program out of a total 500 million eligible devices. Back in December 2017, Apple published an apology letter to customers in regards to “Batterygate” for slowing down older phones to compensate for erratic battery performance. The tech giant is offering $29 replacement batteries for those with an iPhone 6 or later. The discount, which represents a $50 savings, started in late January and ends in December 2018. Apple will also add more battery health information to iOS to let users know when the battery begins to compromise performance.  

Apple To Offer iPhone Battery Replacement Regardless Of Diagnostics Test Results

Apple has instructed its retail store employees to offer the $29 replacement batteries to anyone who owns an iPhone 6 or newer. The internal instructions follow reports of workers refusing the discount if a phone’s battery passed a diagnostic test.  Apple can still deny the discount if the phone has damage or third-party components that could interfere with the battery.  Those seeking a replacement through an AppleCare warranty claim will need to go through the diagnostic test to see if the phone has less than 80% of its original charge capacity. Last week Apple has published an apology letter to customers in regards to “Batterygate” for slowing down older phones to compensate for erratic battery performance and announced the battery replacement plan

Apple Sued Over The Slow Down Of Older iPhones

Whether or not you believe Apple's response that it doesn’t slow down older iPhone models to promote sales, but that the slowdown is actually due to worn batteries, the company’s lack of up-front transparency has come back to bit ‘em where it hurts.

A new class action suit filed by L.A.’s Stefan Bogdanovich claims Apple's decision to slow the operation of older phones to save battery life was never requested or agreed upon — and lowers the value of their phones. He also doesn’t buy the tech giant’s explanation and says the slow-down is just a ploy to to get folks to upgrade. Apple could have avoided this issue in a variety of ways. Rather than secretly hamstring the iPhone's CPU, it could have educated users about the limitations of lithium-ion batteries instead of burying the info in a user manual, Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit tells Wired. Or Apple could sell battery replacement kits to consumers.

Apple argues that allowing consumers to replace the battery could make the iPhone more vulnerable to hacks, and that letting people peek inside would make the iPhone easier to counterfeit. Apple has never authorized an independent company to repair iPhones, though it has for Macs. Apple Stores will only replace iPhone batteries if they fail a specific diagnostic test, the specifics of which aren't made public. Third-party replacement repair usually costs about $40, compared to the $79 that Apple charges.

Apple Announces Battery Replacement For The iPhone 5

If you purchased the iPhone 5  and your battery seems to need charging more often than usual. Apple has just announced an iPhone 5 battery replacement program for phones that "may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently." The affected iPhones were all sold in the first few months of the iPhone 5's life, between September of 2012 and January of 2013. The program launched on August 22 in the US and China, and it will be available in other countries on August 29. It will be available for two years after your purchase date or until March 1 of 2015, whichever provides longer coverage.