iPhone Battery Replacement

THINK a little. There are about a HALF BILLION (500,000,000) phones that are eligible for battery replacement. How long do you think it takes to make a half billion batteries, then distribute them to 500 stores around the world, anticipating how many each store will need. The fact that they can do it in only 2 months is a really remarkable accomplishment.

Entitled a little? As Lawrence pointed out they didn't have millions upon millions of batteries just sitting on a shelf. Maybe be rational and understand they're getting them as fast as they can and you'll just have to wait until they've got one for you.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

How long do you think it takes to make a half billion batteries, then distribute them to 500 stores around the world, anticipating how many each store will need.

At least a week or two, possibly a bit more. :-)

Have to assume you don't have a formal Apple store nearby. Call you local Apple support for advice.

Yes any phone from 6 forward. But I read today that Apple may not have stock for the iPhone 6S and may delay that model for replacement till March.

Whoever you spoke with didn’t know what they were talking about. Call in again.

I just spoke to Apple Support, attempting to setup an appointment for battery replacement on iPhone 7 and SE.

I was told the program is limited to iPhone 6 models. Has anyone else encountered this? Apple's Company Statement released Dec. 28, '17 specifically says the program applies to "iPhone 6 or later." Media (iMore, 9to5Mac, Washington Post) all state same thing.

After my own experience, reading these confirmatory posts just deepen my suspicion that Apple is intentionally trying to not honor their promise . If anyone from Apple reads these things please know that this battery fiasco is not being handled well and it is my belief that it’s going to cause a lot of consumers to pause before purchasing their next phone. iPhones were innovative and unique ten years ago but today don’t offer much you can’t get elsewhere. Careful Apple!

Because they can’t replace a battery on a phone with a cracked screen so it’s just a fair warning to those before they get there and are told after they’ve gone through the process of making the appointment and spending travel time getting to the Apple Store.

MichelPM wrote:

If some one comes into an Apple with a screen damaged device, they should already know that there is the possiblity that Apple may have to repair/replace the screen at extra cost if Apple can’t put the phone bck together with the damaged screen.

A damaged screen repair/replacemnt is NOT included with a $29 battery replacement.

Duh...

🙄

I know it's obvious to people who think a lot about how electronic devices are put together. It's not obvious to the average owner of an iPhone (like my wife) who thinks of it as an appliance that "just works". I can guarantee that there will be people with cracked screens who make appointments based on all the publicity, and then decide against it once informed that it's going to cost $200 instead of $30. That's not worth mentioning?

MichelPM wrote:

Your talking about damaged screen repair costs!!!

Not about costs of a battery replacement and the topic here is about battery replacements NOT about more expensive screen damage repairs!!!

If Apple can’t put a cracked screen back on an iPhone getting a battery replacement, the cost of repair could possibly be more depending on if the user still has AppleCare or not on the phone.

I have no idea why you use the phrases "off-topic" and "should already know". A wide cross-section of people own iPhones, and frankly "should already know" doesn't apply to the typical customer because they have little idea what's involved in replacing the battery other than "I can get it cheaper".

The last time I was at an Apple Store I asked an employee if my wife's protective glass sheet being damaged would be an issue with a battery replacement service. My wife is a typical iPhone owner without a technical understanding of the issues. She has no idea if they take off a back or the display to get the battery. But she heard it's discounted $50 and she'd like to have a new battery with its consequential increase in capacity. This employee said they could do it if the underlying glass was intact. If the glass was damaged they would require the customer to pay for the glass replacement service in addition to the battery replacement costs. You don't think that's a legitimate thing to bring up in this topic?

I bring up damaged screen repair costs because I know A) Apple won't replace the battery in a damaged screen iPhone without the glass service, and B) A lot of people with damaged glass wouldn't bother making an appointment if they also have to pay for new glass at Apple's prices.

Tenafly144 wrote:

It’s not that I expected an appointment the minute I called. What I did expect, AFTER Apple announced the program up and running was a straight forward experience meaning easy to set up an appointment ( even if it wasn’t for three months ) and courteous employees who apologize for the delay instead of implying I was being unreasonable for wanting a new battery in the first place!

An additional FYI for those who haven’t gone yet, the person who helped me had me sign a form that if any non Apple parts were in my phone (mine thankfully does not) the repair would not be covered meaning if you have previously serviced your phone outside of Apple don’t bother bringing it in. Not sure why this is so, a defective battery is still defective even if your screen is not an original!

This has been Apple's policy forever. They will not work on a device that has been serviced by a 3rd party firm, period. And the reason is pretty simple. If the 3rd party did anything that could have damaged the phone, there is no way to stop a customer from then trying to pin the blame on Apple and expect Apple to either fix or replace the phone. So Apple won't touch a phone that has been touched by another company.

Tenafly144 wrote:

Is that really fair in a recall situation which is what is happening here? It’s like GM sayngvthey wont replace you’re defective airbag if you had your bumper repaired by an outside body shop. Apple should step outside it’s notmal policy for this one.

Of course it's fair. And this isn't a recall at all. It's a voluntary battery replacement offer at reduced cost. And sorry, but while I too sometimes use car analogies, yours doesn't work here. Do you have any idea how many people go to aftermarket service centers, pay to have their screens/batteries, etc., replaced, then realize they made a mistake and try to get Apple to fix it afterwards. Apple has long maintained that the minute you let someone else open up your phone, you can no longer get Apple to service your phone. They're simply unwilling, for good reason to take responsibility for a device that has been tampered with.

Maybe, maybe it’s a “voluntary” action to avoid a major class action case

Could be but the phone support did the same thing. Irs become so hard to deal with Apple lately. Can’t even get a Genius Bar appointment without jumping through hoops. I hoe they straighten themselves out!