How to get your old iPhone battery replaced by Apple

2»

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 40
    About two years ago, the battery in my iPhone 5 started to puff. I contacted Apple to find out how to replace it, and the official word was "we will swap your phone for a refurbished one". Now, I've never had a good experience with any refurbished item, so I politely refused. I then contacted my local Apple store and was told to bring it in and after about an hour and $90 I would have a new battery, so phone in hand, I headed off on the long drive to the store. After arriving, I was told that it would also be a phone replacement with a refurbished device, and the hour wait and $90 charge was to move my data over to the new device. I didn't do it.

    I wonder what the process now would be with trying to get the battery "replaced" in my iPhone 6.
    jdiamond
  • Reply 22 of 40
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    mac_128 said:
    dewme said:
    The single biggest issue I have with the “frozen” versions of iOS that older devices are stuck with is Safari. The version of Safari on iOS 9.3.5 and older iOS versions does not support content blockers and is incompatible with most ad blockers. The old versions of Safari simply can’t handle the massive ad bloat and auto play video content that is pervasive on most modern web sites. The usability reduction with older devices is much more a result of newer apps and web sites placing a much greater demand on the devices than anything else, including the throttling of more recent vintage iOS devices with weak batteries. If you could attach an automobile battery to an iPhone 4s it wouldn’t make a bit of difference when the old version of Safari encounters a web site with a mountain of ads and banners sitting on it.
    The only thing? Apple doesn't provide security updates either, do they?
    Not the only thing but the biggest annoyance for sure. I’m not aware of any known and unpatched security issues in frozen versions of iOS. Are the vulnerabilities published somewhere?
  • Reply 23 of 40
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    dewme said:
    ... If you could attach an automobile battery to an iPhone 4s it wouldn’t make a bit of difference when the old version of Safari encounters a web site with a mountain of ads and banners sitting on it.
    I think we just have to stop visiting those sites. I agree, some sites are getting unusable on just about any device (if not from performance, than annoyance), let along an old mobile device. I've started strongly considering the site quality when sharing articles now, even if the article was quite good. Sending people to a bad site just isn't worth it.

    ZooMigo said:
    Now, I've never had a good experience with any refurbished item, so I politely refused.
    I'm not sure if you've tried Apple refurbs, but I've actually had a better track record with their refurbished stuff than new. I think by the time it gets to being refurbished, it actually goes through more QC.
    bb-15
  • Reply 24 of 40
    dachardachar Posts: 330member
    There might be another way to solve some of the battery issues.

    I had a 5. After a few years it started to have fast battery drain. The local Apple store run thier diagnostics and said the battery was in very good condition. They also checked software usage and made a number of adjustments to stop Apps running too much in the background. This solved the fast battery drain.

    A year or so later the problem returned. Shortly after that l upgraded to a SE and wiped my 5 returning it to a factory restore. My wife started using my old 5. There has been absolutely no battery drain issues. She has added about 2 Apps. 

    So in my case it appears the problem with battery drain was too many Apps running in the background. 
  • Reply 25 of 40
    mimac said:
    So... question...

    I have an old iPhone 4 which is slower than snailshit hibernating in a drawer. Rather than pay Apple an extortionate amount for a battery replacement (which they probably won't anyway in such an old phone) I could get one fitted by a local repair shop for about $20. Given that its not an "official" Apple replacement and under the impression that it will charge and discharge normally, will that battery replacement allow the phone to run at previously normal operating speeds?

    As Hypoluxa pointed out above, updates could potentially spoil any chance of getting the phone to operate anywhere near as well as it previously would have. Putting an older version of the phones OS back on is not an option as, even if it were possible, newer apps wouldn't run on it.

    Therein lies the "planned obsolescence".

    Wadaya think?
    Security is much more important than your stupid conspiracy theories. Regular folks just want their stuff to run. Security patches are really important, if you did not from Android.
  • Reply 26 of 40
    Only time I've ever needed a battery replaced was in my iPhone 6 Plus, was out of warranty and No Apple Care, made an appointment at the local Apple Store, walked in and the guy literary took my phone and replaced the battery, no questions asked.
  • Reply 27 of 40
    cgWerks said:
    AppleInsider said:
    and should you fall outside of coverage, you'll pay out-of-warranty fees ranging from $269 for an iPhone SE to $549 for an iPhone X.
    That's what battery replacement costs if you're not under some special policy? That's kind of crazy. I guess I'll just hope the battery holds out for a long time yet.
    As the article stated, Apple charges $79 for a new battery.
    The $269 is only for accidental damage after the phone is no longer covered by warranty or AppleCare+
  • Reply 28 of 40
    mrbtuts said:
    It has only been about 5 months since when I have brought my iPhone 7 and at present the battery lasts for about 3 hours at max without rough usages. I don't use many apps the WiFi stays connected most times but I don't use the phone much however still I face this battery drainage issue. Is this something common with iPhone users or do I need to get my battery replaced? Any suggestions will be really appreciated.
    Apple can check your battery and tell you if its a battery issue.
    Most likely it is due to power hungry apps draining the battery.  You can check in settings under "Battery" which ones are the culprits and turn them off.
  • Reply 29 of 40
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    mimac said:
    So... question...

    I have an old iPhone 4 which is slower than snailshit hibernating in a drawer. Rather than pay Apple an extortionate amount for a battery replacement (which they probably won't anyway in such an old phone) I could get one fitted by a local repair shop for about $20. Given that its not an "official" Apple replacement and under the impression that it will charge and discharge normally, will that battery replacement allow the phone to run at previously normal operating speeds?

    As Hypoluxa pointed out above, updates could potentially spoil any chance of getting the phone to operate anywhere near as well as it previously would have. Putting an older version of the phones OS back on is not an option as, even if it were possible, newer apps wouldn't run on it.

    Therein lies the "planned obsolescence".

    Wadaya think?
    https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+4+Battery+Replacement/3141

    It's 11.99 for a new battery and the the apple oem replacement part # for the battery, if by chance you don't trust the warrantied ifixit battery. From what I understand a properly functioning, correct spec battery that is replaced in a slowed device will make the device function normally again after replacement.  If you so choose you can buy the correct oem battery and have a 3rd party shop put it in. That should answer your question...

    Specifications

    Voltage:
    3.7
    Watt Hours (Wh):
    5.25
    Capacity:
    1420
    Apple Part #:
    616-0520, 616-0521, 616-0512, 616-0513





  • Reply 30 of 40
    mimac said:
    So... question...

    I have an old iPhone 4 which is slower than snailshit hibernating in a drawer. Rather than pay Apple an extortionate amount for a battery replacement (which they probably won't anyway in such an old phone) I could get one fitted by a local repair shop for about $20. Given that its not an "official" Apple replacement and under the impression that it will charge and discharge normally, will that battery replacement allow the phone to run at previously normal operating speeds?

    As Hypoluxa pointed out above, updates could potentially spoil any chance of getting the phone to operate anywhere near as well as it previously would have. Putting an older version of the phones OS back on is not an option as, even if it were possible, newer apps wouldn't run on it.

    Therein lies the "planned obsolescence".

    Wadaya think?
    $79 is hardly an "extortionate amount" if it restores a 6 year old phone to full operation. And given that you are only now having issues, after 6 years of use, that doesn't constitute planned obsolescence. Pay the money or get a new phone, but enough of the whining.
  • Reply 31 of 40
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    launfall said:
    mimac said:
    ... As Hypoluxa pointed out above, updates could potentially spoil any chance of getting the phone to operate anywhere near as well as it previously would have. Putting an older version of the phones OS back on is not an option as, even if it were possible, newer apps wouldn't run on it.

    Therein lies the "planned obsolescence".

    Wadaya think?
    $79 is hardly an "extortionate amount" if it restores a 6 year old phone to full operation. And given that you are only now having issues, after 6 years of use, that doesn't constitute planned obsolescence. Pay the money or get a new phone, but enough of the whining.
    I think some of you need some reading comprehension work.

    Mimac is clearly saying it's more about trying to run too new of an OS on older hardware, and THAT is the "(quote) planned obsolescence (quote)"... i.e.: scare quotes, i.e.: so-called, i.e.: "scare quotes - quotation marks placed round a word or phrase to draw attention to an unusual or arguably inaccurate use". Or, that what people are calling planned obsolescence, is actually a matter of running too new of OS and applications on too old of hardware. Which is typically exactly what is going on. (Aside from this new discovery that Apple is slowing bad-battery phones to keep them from crashing instead.)

    Conspiracy theorists think (and so call it planned obsolescence) because they think Apple is purposely creating software that needs newer and better hardware to run well, while most of us probably just realize that A-series type hardware is still making huge leaps and bounds of advancement, technology wise, quickly enough to make it seem that way (unlike Intel chips, where they've run into the limitations of physics for that chip architecture, and can no longer so rapidly advance).
    mimac
  • Reply 32 of 40
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,544member
    mimac said:
    So... question...

    I have an old iPhone 4 which is slower than snailshit hibernating in a drawer. Rather than pay Apple an extortionate amount for a battery replacement (which they probably won't anyway in such an old phone) I could get one fitted by a local repair shop for about $20. Given that its not an "official" Apple replacement and under the impression that it will charge and discharge normally, will that battery replacement allow the phone to run at previously normal operating speeds?

    As Hypoluxa pointed out above, updates could potentially spoil any chance of getting the phone to operate anywhere near as well as it previously would have. Putting an older version of the phones OS back on is not an option as, even if it were possible, newer apps wouldn't run on it.

    Therein lies the "planned obsolescence".

    Wadaya think?
    If “planned obsolescence” to you is abandoning a six-year-old cellphone, then Apple is doing way better than the rest of the smartphone pack. 
  • Reply 33 of 40
    ... If Apple tests your iPhone and determines that its battery holds less than 80 percent of its original capacity, you're golden, since Apple will replace the battery for free. You can make this happen in person at an Apple store, or mail in your iPhone after going through an online process.
    Does anyone know what Apple does to perform these tests?  Is it via software that you can run yourself?  Or do they remove your battery and put it on a special test jig?
    cgWerks said:
    AppleInsider said:
    and should you fall outside of coverage, you'll pay out-of-warranty fees ranging from $269 for an iPhone SE to $549 for an iPhone X.
    That's what battery replacement costs if you're not under some special policy? That's kind of crazy. I guess I'll just hope the battery holds out for a long time yet.
    That is express replacement service.  That is when you show up and say "I need a new phone and I need it now".  You immediately get a replacement phone.  They will refurbish your old phone on their own time.  If it is out of warranty or if they don't find anything wrong with it, then they charge you most of the cost of a new phone.

    That is completely separate from other kinds of service (both in and out of warranty).
    mimac said:
    I have an old iPhone 4 which is slower than snailshit hibernating in a drawer. Rather than pay Apple an extortionate amount for a battery replacement (which they probably won't anyway in such an old phone) I could get one fitted by a local repair shop for about $20. Given that its not an "official" Apple replacement and under the impression that it will charge and discharge normally, will that battery replacement allow the phone to run at previously normal operating speeds?

    Absolutely.  I bought an iFixit kit to replace the battery in my wife's old 4S several years ago.  It's not hard to to, but you have to be comfortable working with small tools.  It took me about 45 minutes, because I was reviewing the instructions on iFixit's web site every step of the way.  It was probably 10 minutes of actual work.
    ZooMigo said:
    ... I was told that it would also be a phone replacement with a refurbished device, and the hour wait and $90 charge was to move my data over to the new device. I didn't do it.
    That's strange.  The $90 must have been for them to do the data transfer while you wait.  When I've needed device replacement in the past (an iPad with a cracked screen), they asked me if I had a current backup (via iTunes or iCloud).  I said yes and they immediately replaced my device (for a fee, since it was out of warranty).  When i got home, I restored my backup and was good to go afterward.

    For a phone, it should pretty much be the same procedure, but you need to move your SIM card from the old phone to the new one (otherwise your carrier will need to activate a new SIM card, which usually entails a $25-50 fee).
  • Reply 34 of 40
    kudukudu Posts: 44member
    Hey everyone. Instead of going in to an Apple Store for a diagnostic for a battery issue, save yourself the hassle of driving and parking (and walking). Download the new Apple Support app and initiate a call to AppleCare. They can do the same diagnostic test and remotely access your iPhone, just as if you were face to face with them. I did that recently. Practically fell off my chair when the little red arrow appeared on my phone, thought it was computer only. Enjoy 😱
    cgWerks
  • Reply 35 of 40
    cgWerks said:I'm not sure if you've tried Apple refurbs, but I've actually had a better track record with their refurbished stuff than new. I think by the time it gets to being refurbished, it actually goes through more QC.
    Not me.  I've averaged about 3 dud replacements each time.  In one case, all of them had the same major defect, so I finally just gave up replacing them.  And after paying that "discount" replacement fee of $269 twice, I vowed from now on I'll just get a new one with a warranty instead.  In fact, I've had the costly pain of Apple replacing good working machines and giving me replacements where just about everything was wrong on them - in one case I had to pony up $450 to fix an item that they had just given me as a refurb exchange, because I'd exceeded the legal amount of exchanges for my warranty.  And I did nothing to harm these devices.

    So I honestly don't know if there's Apple QC anywhere - although it's telling that a refurbished item (your exchange) is only warrantied for 90 days - so Apple clearly doesn't believe the QC is very good on refurbs.  They've embraced the old style American manufacturing model of churn them out broken and fix them afterwards.  Wait - isn't that the Chinese model, where there stuff is made now?  Where you buy 3 of everything in the hopes that 1 of them works?

    But once in awhile, you get the golden Apple product that's still ticking fine 10 years later.  :)  Then you just count the years until you can't run the latest OS anymore.

    edited December 2017
  • Reply 36 of 40
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    jdiamond said:
    cgWerks said:I'm not sure if you've tried Apple refurbs, but I've actually had a better track record with their refurbished stuff than new. I think by the time it gets to being refurbished, it actually goes through more QC.
    Not me.  I've averaged about 3 dud replacements each time.  In one case, all of them had the same major defect, so I finally just gave up replacing them.  And after paying that "discount" replacement fee of $269 twice, I vowed from now on I'll just get a new one with a warranty instead.  In fact, I've had the costly pain of Apple replacing good working machines and giving me replacements where just about everything was wrong on them - in one case I had to pony up $450 to fix an item that they had just given me as a refurb exchange, because I'd exceeded the legal amount of exchanges for my warranty.  And I did nothing to harm these devices.

    So I honestly don't know if there's Apple QC anywhere - although it's telling that a refurbished item (your exchange) is only warrantied for 90 days - so Apple clearly doesn't believe the QC is very good on refurbs.  They've embraced the old style American manufacturing model of churn them out broken and fix them afterwards.  Wait - isn't that the Chinese model, where there stuff is made now?  Where you buy 3 of everything in the hopes that 1 of them works?

    But once in awhile, you get the golden Apple product that's still ticking fine 10 years later.  :)  Then you just count the years until you can't run the latest OS anymore.
    Hmm, I've never had to exchange a product for a refurb, so I can't speak to that. I've only purchased them from the 'refurbished' section at the bottom of the Apple website. They've always come with the same full warranty a new one would. I wonder if there is a difference (must be).

    I'm curious which product you're talking about as well. I've mostly purchased refurb laptops and iPads (one iMac). The only new products I've bought for at least 5 years have been my iPhone SE, and son's iPad mini 4. Everything else has been refurb.

    Yea, the OS/app obsolescence will get them long before they die these days, I think.
  • Reply 37 of 40
    cgWerks said:
    AppleInsider said:
    and should you fall outside of coverage, you'll pay out-of-warranty fees ranging from $269 for an iPhone SE to $549 for an iPhone X.
    That's what battery replacement costs if you're not under some special policy? That's kind of crazy. I guess I'll just hope the battery holds out for a long time yet.
    To clarify, that's only what it costs if you use the Express Replacement Service without AppleCare+ coverage.
    Terrible communication by .....a writer! The reader asks if the $269 for an iPhone SE is the cost to replace a battery out of warranty. You reply with a true statement that this is Express Replacement Service but don’t explain what that is. Casual reader thinks this is to replace the battery sine that was the precise question. WRONG. And you led them there. That is the cost to replace THE WHOLE PHONE, NOT JUST THE BATTERY. I hope this is just poor communication (which I would not expect from someone who makes their living writing), because if it’s subject knowledge you shouldn’t be writing on the topic at all.
  • Reply 38 of 40

    Be cautious however, especially if you choose the mail-in route. If Apple decides your battery is fine, you'll end up paying the full service fee -- plus another $6.95 for shipping if that's required.

     -- but that uses up one of your two $99 "accidental damage incidents," and should you fall outside of coverage, you'll pay out-of-warranty fees ranging from $269 for an iPhone SE to $549 for an iPhone X.
    Both are BS statements that show that whoever wrote this didn’t bother to get all the facts. 

    Apple doesn’t do mail in repairs for a battery without a confirmed physical issue with the battery. And that’s via running a remote diagnostic 

    and a dead battery isn’t an accidental damage issue so no you don’t burn an incident using ERS
  • Reply 39 of 40
    Go to the local mall and get it replaced for $50. Apple does the exact same thing but with the "Apple" premium.
    edited December 2017
  • Reply 40 of 40
    So, just to be clear: your "tip" on "how to get your battery replaced" is to buy AppleCare+?
Sign In or Register to comment.