iPod Battery dies after 200 charges/18 months?

proud ibook owner 2k2proud ibook owner 2k2
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
I ordered an iPod 10 GB that should be here on or about Christmas and my friend who has the same model tells me that if you use it alot (even when you charge it) that its battery'll die after 200 charges or 18 months... whichever comes first... He also says that the "damaged" battery will cost $250 to repair... This fact or myth? My iBook's battery is acting weird too... but I've had my iBook for almost 2 years... So I'm a little skeptical about this whole thing... Thoughts?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    homhom Posts: 1,098member
    I'm calling bull shit. I had an original 5 GB model and never had an issues with the battery that a hard reset couldn't fix. If you are really worried you can buy AppleCare for iPod for $59. That extends the warranty to two years so if the battery only lasts 18 months Apple will replace it. Now assuming that the battery dies after your two year warranty Apple has a battery replacement program for $99.



    But like I said, the idea that the iPod batteries are somehow going crazy and refusing to hold a charge after 18 months is bull shit.
  • Reply 2 of 14
    proud ibook owner 2k2proud ibook owner 2k2 Posts: 1,011member
    HOM, RIGHT ON! I'm with ya. I'm in no way worried. I was only trying to get some straight answers... I'll need to replace my iBook's battery soon... because I can barely get a half hour out of it.... Anyway.. Thanks.
  • Reply 3 of 14
    proud ibook owner 2k2proud ibook owner 2k2 Posts: 1,011member
    HOM, one thing.. Did you have yours connected to your computer 24/7? I don't see how that would hurt it... It should be smart enough to stop recieving power once it's full... I hope that's not what caused my iBook's battery to start acting weird... hm...
  • Reply 4 of 14
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Well I've had my iPod about 7 and a half months and they just had to replace the battery so there's definitely something fishy with the batteries.
  • Reply 5 of 14
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    On the other hand, mine is two years old, and no problems.



    And I use it (and charge it) daily.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    homhom Posts: 1,098member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Proud iBook Owner 2k2

    HOM, one thing.. Did you have yours connected to your computer 24/7? I don't see how that would hurt it... It should be smart enough to stop recieving power once it's full... I hope that's not what caused my iBook's battery to start acting weird... hm...



    Nope. I used to connect it at night when I went to bed because at almost all other times it was attached to my hip.
  • Reply 7 of 14
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    Telomar, anecdotal evidence proves nothing.



    Barto
  • Reply 8 of 14
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Barto

    Telomar, anecdotal evidence proves nothing.



    Barto



    You'll find eye witness testimony ad repair reports do though. Simple fact is the iPods do have issues. You can blindfold yourself to the litany of complaints if you really want but I still have a slip from my repair that proves iPod batteries can have issues. Experience tells me when you start hearing a lot of complaints on any topic there's usually something to the story.



    That said I love my iPod but it hasn't lived up to the standards I expected. Possible mine had issues though and will be better now but I definitely haven't been alone.
  • Reply 9 of 14
    saabmp3saabmp3 Posts: 52member
    It's a battery people....



    Tell me, how many of you with cars over 5 years old have the orginal battery? The simple fact is they don't last forever. Anyone who thought that the iPod battery would last forever is an idiot. 18 months sounds a little short but reasonable. Get over it.



    BEN
  • Reply 10 of 14
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Why is this the fiftieth thread on the same subject? Perhaps we should make a sticky or a FAQ gleaned from the best posts on the subject?



    The iPod's battery loses its ability to retain a charge over time just like any other. It should last for at least 500 charges, roughly 18 months if you charge it every day. It's not a time bomb, a la Zip drive's click of death. If you're worried about the iPod's battery prematurely losing its ability to retain a charge, let it drain to about nil and charge it completely. Batteries like this are just like a AA Duracells' performance, it depends a lot of how it's used, its environment, how long it's been sitting, that particular batch's manufacture, etc.



    Apple offers AppleCare for iPods now, and they offer battery replacement for $100. Third parties supposedly (haven't looked into it) charge as low as $45 to do the replacement, and if you buy the battery and replace it yourself, it might be less. It doesn't cost $250.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Telomar

    That said I love my iPod but it hasn't lived up to the standards I expected. Possible mine had issues though and will be better now but I definitely haven't been alone.



    Telomar, for every product line Apple makes there will be thousands, if not tens of thousands, of failures a year. What matters is not that you personally have been unlucky, but how many people were unlucky. And the iPod is NOT a high failure rate product (unlike, for example, the white iBook G3s).



    Barto
  • Reply 12 of 14
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Barto

    Telomar, for every product line Apple makes there will be thousands, if not tens of thousands, of failures a year. What matters is not that you personally have been unlucky, but how many people were unlucky. And the iPod is NOT a high failure rate product (unlike, for example, the white iBook G3s).



    As I said maybe I got unlucky but I have good reason to suspect the incidence of failures is not small. A lot of the issues are small but most are indicative of poor manufacturing processes. I'd just advise any iPod buyer to be aware.



    Then again Apple's quality on many products has been substandard of late. You can put it down to innovative design efforts or a number of other factors but at the end of the day you'll find their failure rates are up year on year.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Do you have references with factual numbers to back up that assertion? If you do, I'd be interested in seeing them.
  • Reply 14 of 14
    _ alliance __ alliance _ Posts: 2,070member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Telomar

    As I said maybe I got unlucky but I have good reason to suspect the incidence of failures is not small. A lot of the issues are small but most are indicative of poor manufacturing processes. I'd just advise any iPod buyer to be aware.



    Then again Apple's quality on many products has been substandard of late. You can put it down to innovative design efforts or a number of other factors but at the end of the day you'll find their failure rates are up year on year.







    you better not do anything that relates to science. a sample set of ONE INSTANCE MEANS NOTHING. there will always be times when something occasionally goes wrong. to make the judgement that it happens in a majority of cases based on your specific example is stupid. THINK. amazing...







    from what i've seen with my apple products, I have NEVER had a product that has ever broken. does that mean that things will NEVER break??? of course not.





    but i suppose simple logic isnt for everyone then, is it?
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