Apple will raise iPhone battery replacement prices on January 1
Is your iPhone being slowed down by an older battery? Then you’ll want to get it replaced before the year is out.
While most of the attention Wednesday was on Apple’s newest iPhones and updated Apple Watch, the company made a few quiet tweaks that may not sit well with users.
In addition to quietly removing the bundled adapter for using older 3.5mm headphones, Apple also updated its battery replacement details. First spotted by 9to5Mac, the price for replacing the battery of most recent iPhones that are out of warranty will jump from $29 to $49 starting January 1 for older iPhones and from $29 to $69 for the iPhone X.
The full breakdown of the new pricing for out-of-warranty replacements:
- iPhone X: $29 today, $69 on January 1, 2019.
- iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus: $29 today, $49 on January 1 2019.
- iPhone XS, XS Max and XR: $69
If your iPhone’s battery is in need of service during the first year of ownership you can generally get it replaced by Apple for free as the company includes a one-year limited warranty with its phones (assuming the issue wasn’t caused by “accidental damage”).
It is recommended you replace your iPhone’s battery if the battery health is under 80%. An iOS update, version 11.3, earlier this year added the ability for users to check if their iPhones were operating at “peak performance” by going to “Settings,” “Battery,” and then “Battery Health.”
Apple initially charged $79 for a replacement battery but lowered the price for 2018 down to $29 after it was revealed that the company was slowing down older iPhones with weaker batteries in order to keep the devices working.
The $29 rate was always seen as a temporary move, though the exact new pricing wasn’t known until Wednesday.
It is normal for lithium-ion batteries, like those in the iPhone, to lose their ability to hold a charge over time. In replacing the battery, Apple’s software would recognize that the phone was capable of once again performing at full strength without risking unexpected, random shutdowns.
Apple’s latest software update, iOS 12, is said to help boost performance of older devices. The company announced Wednesday that the update will be available on Monday, September 17.