Apple's iPhone Battery Replacements Have a Major Catch
The cost of replacing your iPhone's battery can get a lot higher than $29 if Apple deems that other parts need to be replaced.
Some iPhone owners who have had batteries replaced as part of Apple's $29 discount program have accused the company of finding other faults and charging for them before replacing the battery in an attempt to profit, according to a report from the BBC.
iPhone owners in the report said that Apple demanded replacements for damaged screens or other internal components, which could cost up to ten times more than the quote for the battery.
"When it comes to iPhone battery replacement, if your iPhone has any damage that impairs the replacement of the battery, such as a cracked screen, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement," Apple told the BBC. "In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair."
The company's website for battery repairs states that "If your iPhone has any damage that impairs the replacement of the battery, such as a cracked screen, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair."
While our attempt at getting a battery replaced was quick and easy, some on forums have also commented about issues with the process.
Apple's $29 iPhone battery replacement is for the iPhone 6 and later models, and soon after Apple admitted that it was throttling performance to maintain battery life in older phones, and that new batteries could resolve the issue.
It does make sense that some issues could keep Apple from replacing the battery, but it certainly doesn't seem as easy to get back to full performance as some owners might expect.
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Andrew E. Freedman is an editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming as well as keeping up with the latest news. He holds a M.S. in Journalism (Digital Media) from Columbia University. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Kotaku, PCMag, Complex, Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag among others.