Apple launches battery replacement program for iPhone
By Ryan Block 
posted Jul 4th 2007 3:56PM
posted Jul 4th 2007 3:56PM
Well, it seems Apple has reacted -- at least partially -- to the gripe that the iPhone battery isn't user replaceable with the iPhone Out-of-Warranty Battery Replacement Program. If your battery goes flat Apple will replace it for $79.95 plus $6.95 for shipping, with turnaround time expected to be about three business days. As a bonus, if you just can't live without Cupertino's newest, Apple will rent you an iPhone for the duration of the battery replacement -- or if it needs any other type of repair -- for just $29. In total, the whole experience will set you back well over that magical $100 mark, and after having shelled out a pretty big load of cash to begin with, we're sure this won't sit well with many. Of course, [Via Mac Rumors]
Wow. Apple really likes you guys. I just dont get how hard it is to put a F**KING DOOR on the back of it. They introduced all this amazing technology into this phone, yet failed to answer a "CELL PHONE" requirement and have a user-replaceable battery.
Wake up, the sheep appear to be in their own dream world.
I'm sure Steve Jobs told his designers that he doesn't like doors. Screw the customers, make it look cute.
There is nothing amazing about the technology in this phone. The only new thing it has is bigger flash and 'multitouch', but it missing tons of other techs as well.
Consider the economics. 10 million buyers a year and assume 50% people buy a replacement battery in 1-2 years while the others buy another phone. Apple then takes in $100 per phone x 5 million = $500 million residual from the battery replacers alone.
Yeah and the reason you WANT a replaceable/swappable battery is to have no down time.
So If I send it overnight to Apple, at best, I'll get it back in a week?
Well, I guess I dont need my only phone device on me for a week. Who needs friends, family, work, or anyone else calling me. I'll just explain to them that I'm on an iphone vacation while I get a new battery replacement.
um HELLO APPLE, WTF!!!!??
why should the battery be going flat in the first place? Can someone please tell me why I should EXPECT to replace my phone battery?
Because physics mean it isn't possible to make an everlasting battery just yet. Apple has rated the battery at 300-400 full charging cycles.
It is nice that they'll rent you a spare phone for just $29, real philanthropists at Apple.
Yeah they're peaches those guys at Apple. But what i meant was, what happened to plugging your phone into the wall and charging the battery? Whens the last time you had to replace your nokia battery and rent a new phone for $29
Well if you have never had the same cell phone for more than a year you might not notice the average 2 year life span of the batteries, after which they start to rapidly loose how much power they can hold.
Second, if you don't use a phone for business or had a data device phone you might have not had the need to carry a spare battery for when your battery runs down partway through your busy work day.
man apple makes things so affordable...
NOT.
N95 battery = $10 on eBay.
El cheapo N95 battery (from some illegit Chinese warehouse) that will require charging every other day with just light use, and will completely die on you within 6 months = $10
Have fun. I can watch an entire movie on the iPhone and use it frequently during the day, and still have about 75% charge left.
Plus, people, you have your facts wrong. It was 300-400 charges before the battery starts losing its full capacity. NOT before it dies.
The only problem I have with this policy is the $30 charge for a rental phone. They should offer up the rental phone at no extra charge.
I got a new authentic BL-5B battery for my N80 a couple of days ago for US$20. Plus I didn't have to send my phone off.
I am dying to see how Apple fanboys spin this news into Apple's favour.
God bless that Steve Jobs, the man is a saint.
The only time I need to take the battery out of my phone is when it freezes/crashes and the power button doesn't work. I've never had to replace it. If the battery on the iPhone lasts as long as a properly-cared-for iPod battery, many people will be upgrading their iPhones by the time it goes flat.
ipod batteries are horrible, if the iphone battery is anywhere near as bad as the ipod batteries then Apple may have another lawsuit on their hands. Im on my 2nd ipod battery and its almost unusable after about 1.5 years, it cant even hold a charge over night.
My iPod w/Video is about 1.5 years old using the original battery and I don't seem to have any issues with it holding a charge. I used to run it down to probably about 10% and then I'd charge it. I used to watch a lot of videos (complete season episodes of shows). It never ran completely out and I'd usually charge it overnight.
So maybe it's how the battery gets used that causes it to fail completely. Like I say, my iPod battery is nearly as good as new. I'm going to run some tests to see how long it can hold a charge and how long I can watch videos on a charge. I doubt if I've charged it 200 times, though.
Dirty dirty tricks.... makes me sick
I'm stunned they didn't just tell people to buy a new phone after the battery dies.
First of all, let me just say that I think the battery "program" is a tad expensive. I would think that US$60 would have been a reasonable cap. (Look at authentic batteries for digital cameras, for comparison.)
Secondly, to (nearly) all above commenters, and the internet community in general, regarding the iPhone:
Please stop this petty bickering about Apple and the iPhone. All this nonsense about the iPhone *not* being revolutionary (Where the definition of revolutionary can be interpreted in many ways.), not following "cell phone standards, "fanboys" spinning news "to their favor", etc. Just stop–please. Whether you are willing to pay the price for an iPhone or not, whether you have a personal bias toward Apple or not, and whether or not you've even *used* an iPhone to see what it's like; it's just a phone, and Apple is just a company.
Man, you dont have to be genius to say that.
And also, you dont have any right to stop us being entertained by those iPhone wanabees.
You guys (iPhone wanabees) are so funny .... and iDiot :)
Kludge:
I didn't mean to imply that I wanted to stop anyone from adoring the iPhone. More power to you. It's just the petty bickering that's so absurd.
Additionally, while I don't own an iPhone, I have used one at an Apple store, and I must say, compared to my Moto Q "smartphone", the iPhone *is* revolutionary, and I sure do want one! :)
Your post just got added to my list of "I will remember that the next time there is a post about the Zune" list, which contains about 20 links right now.
Poor Apple fanboys, all you do is bitch and complain about products that do not fit into your little Apple-only world. But when it is turned around, waaaaa, don't complain, I wuv my little [insert Apple product here], it is so shiny and sparkly, why do you have to say bad things?
Enjoy your little tantrum.
stephenbratz, thank you for proving my point.
Can't everybody see what's coming? Apple has always found a way to suck more and more money out of their suckers' wallets.
Not having a user replacable battery is NOT a feature for you but it certainly is a feature for THEM.
The next thing will be a NEW model of the iPhone but with larger storage capacity...that way, all of you 'early adopters' can scrap your 'old' iPhones (which were designed with inadequate storage) and buy the NEW iPhones...$$$$$$.
Then we KNOW there will be the hundreds of crap 'accessories' that are going to be produced by 3rd partys. We might get an iPhone hat...or the popular iPhone toilet paper holder. Hey, why doesn't somebody develop a screen magnifier..a fresnel lens should do the job...you could call it the iSee. ;-)
I recall reading that if you do buy AppleCare for it (for $69), that does include a battery replacement, so that would seem to be the best deal.
I'm very surprised the way Apple made this with the complaints that came from the original iPod battery.
Just another reason to charge you for something they are making a mint on.
JESUS, STOP BITCHING, YOU WHINEY LITTLE GEEKS, IF YOU DONT LIKE IT, DONT BUY IT, OR COMMENT ON IT.
*LOL* You are so desperate :)
We will comment on this at any point in time, at any degree of passion or hatred, and most importantly of all, regardless of whether we are owners of the device or not.
THERES A FU***NG COMMENT SECTION FOR A REASON!!!!!!!!
TO MAKE COMMENTS ON THE NEWS!!!
If you plan on making comments, make them constructive. Your ramblings are like those of a child. It is clearly evident that you accept the fact that this is disappointing news, since your only challenge to the vast majority of the comments pointing to their disappointment with this news, is to say then dont buy it.
With this, Apple is after nothing more than your money. Batteries dont cost 79.99, and the fact that you should have to pay shipping on top of it all is just sand in the face of Apples consumers. And 29 for a rental phone? Go to any service provider, and ask them if you have to pay for a rental phone while yours is being repaired. Thats just sad, in my oppinion. Really sad. And people still support them. A door is easily possible, and even some might think there is one when you look at the back. But of course, they didnt want to include one, purely for this unbelievable system they set up.
And you cant compare an iPhone to a regular phone. It seems like a device that you will use for at least 2 - 3 years, if not more (thats if it lasts that long), so as opposed to regular cell phones, this one will get much more use (considering the wifi and constant data access it has). So you can garantee that the battery will die, possibly 2 - 3 times during its life.
...And all they needed to do was to include a door. Im even suprised their laptops dont have embedded batteries. No other device they make has removable batteries.
Dont bother bringing up the Zune if you want to challenge, because thats disappointing as well. This is about the Jesus Phone that is becoming more of a Judas as every day goes by.
Thank god for suckers.
$600 + 2 year contract = $2000. $2000 for a 2.5G phone. Japanese people must be laughing at us right now as we speak.
As an owner of both a blackberry and an iphone... the people that haven't used an iphone and don't have a smartphone like a trio or blackjack or a blackberry really need to be quiet on the subject of ownership of such a device.
1st thing- Iphone can do nearly the same thing as a blackberry.
-It syncs up all calenders and contacts (I'm sure if apple wanted to it could have created an it master prog to have it compatible with existing blackberry crap). Think of it as a great PERSONAL phone opposed to a corporate blackberry. It's supposed to be used for fun and a little bit of business not just business --- like a blackberry.
2nd thing- Not everything is perfect...
-Why in the hell didn't apple simply add the ability to add mp3 ringtones like EVERY OTHER PHONE in the world? The mere fact that they will most likely do it on an downloadable update is stupid.
3rd thing- It really works...
-Say what you will... it works and alot better than other phones that are on the market. Yeah, some things like the recessed headphone jack and the battery that must be replaced by apple is pretty dumb...however, that is the way of the world. With that aside, how many of you have a phone that has pretty amazing 3d graphics, can connect to WIFI, display webpages better than any other phone on the market and do so with the visual grace and performance better than a nokia N95? (I was going to get the N95 but the absolute lack of battery performance makes the phone more than a liability).
Not perfect... but it the Iphone certainly raises the bar in regard to handsets.
cough*XDA Flame*cough..... the only think I like about the iPhone is the UI...
FOR ALL YOU WHO SAY APPLE MAKES ALOT OF MONEY OFF THIS YOUR WRONG!!!! ok yes they do make some money but what about all the business men and women who need more that one battery for a long business trip where they cant use their chargers!!!!! Apple could sell replacement or extra batteries for $100 and then not have to pay for peoples shipping for their replacement of their batteries and not have to pay for people to replace those batteries.
Ignoring the price of the replacement, the thing that surprises me the most is the three day turnaround. That's just not good enough when it comes to a device that you carry around all the time. Surely it would have made more sense for you to be able to go into an Apple store and have your battery replaced on the same day by in-store technicians.
3 day turnaround is not good, going to a cingular (woops, meant "new ATT) or apple store should be same day. However, it does mention that they will give you a phone while you wait... (this whole thing is negated if the owner of an iphone has another spare cell phone laying around (which MANY do have). A person can pop out the SIM and pop it into their old beater cell phone and the problem is solved for 3 days...
Agree on all points. My initial reaction to the non-usuer-replaceable battery was that the transaction ought to be "while-you-wait"...kind of like a a 15-minute oil change. Then again, I always have my most recently retired cellphone to use as a back-up.
Maybe this was part of a Master Plan to build even more loyalty? Forcing people to go back to their old phones for a couple days every 15 months or so will only reinforce how amazing their iPhone is...?
Wow Apple sure know how to rip its costomers off.
$120 for a 20 dollor reshaped USB dock and ipod styled BT headset, $100 dollors for a 10 dollors battery cell... Its good to know when i buy Apple products i know im getting good value for money...
Oh wait thats why i hate Apple over priced rip off artists.
Just so you know. Most ipods mobile phones and other portable devices use a simuler model of Li-ion thin battery cell usealy around 3.7 v. These cells cost around 5-15 dollors each depending on the capacity. At best the iphone would be using the 2000mAh capacity or more likly the 1000mAh due to size. The smaller battery costs 5 dollros per unit the charget 20 dollors. And the 2000mAh unit costs about 10 dollors... Let me do the math here... 100 Dollors for a 5 dollor battery umm I might be wrong A 95 dollors over charge. Smaller comapanys get shut down for such gorss over charging.
But you're forgetting the $90 charge to actually open and close the iPhone...
wow yeah.
Just look at those dollors add up. Man. Pretty soon you'll be all out of monoy. It is ridiculous that there isn't an easier way to change the battery, but then Apple does have a reputation for being control freaks. Maybe they don't want other people making replacement batteries? Who knows. I want one, but I'm waiting till at least 2nd gen before I get one.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.........suckers!
Got to hand it to Jobs. He knows you fanboys are dumb enough to buy whatever "steve the god" throws out. When version 2.0 comes out, see how much your precious 1.0 iPhones are worth.....NOTHING. This from the same guy who came up with the Newton.
As the say, there is a sucker born every second...specially true since June 29th...nothing wrong with taking advantage of them...they will gladly pay the Jobs Tax...
Just shows you, how well the capitalism and suckers mix...
This battery program was available from day one.
This battery replacement is for people outside the warranty window. It's pretty simple, if you purchase the Apple Care plan (as you would with any other apple product), it covers you for two years. Assuming this warranty cost around $70 it would allow you to send in your Iphone close to the end of the two year period to get a battery that will last you another two years. That equals 4 years of battery out of a device that you will probably utilize for 2-3 years. I don't ever anticipate using the battery replacement program b/c it only makes sense to purchase the extended warranty that will cover the replacement of the battery. However, if they were to not cover the battery replacement then Apple is screwing consumers. I've dealt with Apple for awhile and I don't see them leaving people out to dry as long as your smart enough to keep your device under warranty for the next two years and utilize it before it ends to get a new battery or Iphone.
$100? Personally, I don't really care.
It's a rather strange strategy, on one hand, but when you buy a new cool car you don't expect to pay peanuts for upkeep, right? Form factor of the device could be something which wouldn't allow just to change the battery - are there any inside shots of the iPhone on the web?
Rather good point about those traveling and who might need an extra battery on the road, but aren't there portable chargers just for these cases?
What happens when I'm traveling? Cross-country? Applecare is like AMEX? They replace whereever in the world you are?
What about external battery packs for traveling?
http://www.batterygeek.net/iPod_and_PSP_Battery_Packs_s/4.htm
It is a bit bulky but the thing will still get your phone charged while on the move. I am not sure if those will work with the iPhone but I am sure there will be some coming out (if these don't work).
Also who said you need to have Apple replace your battery? It is the same thing with the iPod you didn't hear people whining that they couldn't switch the battery out of that (which you can). There will always be iTechs and iMods. These overbearing prices just re-enforces outside tech companies.
Who's ever comment it was about iPhone battery being good for 300-400 charges; this doesn't mean after 400 charges that the battery STOPS working, it just looses some of it's juice. How much? Is something you should cite when making such a reference.
dP
"Also who said you need to have Apple replace your battery? It is the same thing with the iPod you didn't hear people whining that they couldn't switch the battery out of that (which you can). There will always be iTechs and iMods. These overbearing prices just re-enforces outside tech companies."
It becomes a big liability to the user/owner when it comes to DIY battery replacement or mods. You gotta remember it's a $500/$600 phone (depending on model) that the user will be using for the next 2 years, not to mention all additional costs associated with the contract. The iPhone casing isn't built like the iPods, and iPhone batteries are soldered to the circuit. Some people might not want to risk messing up with disassembling their lil gadget just to replace a battery when they could have it professionally done by Apple with peace of mind.
Anyways, I wouldn't mind doing it myself if I had an iPhone that needed a new bat. I'd just be cringing a little at the thought of it though.
Why is this such a big deal? The most popular music player on the planet...iPod. No user replaceable battery. iPhone, an iPod, a phone, and an internet appliance. It's from the SAME COMPANY, so of course they design it with no user replaceable battery!!! Now, it would have been nice for them to make it replaceable, but the truth is that most of the people who bought these aren't going to want to replace the battery because they won't use the phone long enough. For those of us who do plan of having this phone around for a while, I'll have a third party company do it, and I'll probably only wind up paying about $50.
"but the truth is that most of the people who bought these aren't going to want to replace the battery because they won't use the phone long enough"
WTF people who got this 600$ phone is locked in for 2 years this is Apples lubejob to the suckers of the world
Why does replacing the battery loose all data? I swap the battery on my Treo 700wx and blackberry 8800 all the time ?
wonder if there just replacing them with different iphones and sending the other phones to some cheap place to have them replaced.
Looking at the dissection pics of the iPhone, there appears to be no excuse for a non-replacable battery. They had room for a small plastic connector but instead solder the battery straight to the mainboard. At $600, it should at least be as easy as replacing a cordless phone battery.
These comments are hysterical; I just don't understand the fanatical hatred for a company and its products. I have no particular allegiance...I, like most consumers, just like good, interesting, revolutionary gadgets...and like it or not, the iPhone is certainly that.
I buy things for the user experience/quality in order to make my tasks, communication, and life more effective and enjoyable, NOT for a deep set of features/expandability or clutter that I'd rarely use. And yes, I'm HAPPY to pay a larger premium for that experience - from opening the box to swiping across the screen, or to have a slick, sealed compartment with no obvious battery door lines - and if I'm a "sucker" for that, fine, but appreciate why I don't mind. I also prefer BMW to Honda, a TIVO to a DVR, a Guinness to a Bud, Smugmug to Kodak's Easyshare, etc, etc...all producing products that essentially do the SAME things.
It's personal preference, and it's done because I see value in function AND style/experience. If you don't see this - you won't understand why Apple's been successful as a company at all.
I buy things for the user experience/quality in order to make my tasks, communication, and life more effective and enjoyable, NOT for a deep set of features/expandability or clutter that I'd rarely use.
------------
Greg, a user-replaceable battery doesn't add clutter. At most, a door on the back that can be slid off to replace it. If you don't use this functionality, you simply don't slide the door off and continue using your phone exactly as you now do.
If you are a heavy user, you have the option to replace the battery without the downtime associated with charging it. The best of both worlds. I can't think of ONE compelling reason Apple doesn't let the user replace the battery on its devices.
To be fair, non user-replaceable batteries are so popular in non-Apple devices, too. So Apple should by no means get all the flak here.
That said, it's nice to see Engadget place some importance on this (or at least mention replacement costs) because many don't know rechargeable batteries don't last forever.
feel so ripped off!
Has everyone had their iPhone joygasm so we can all go back to regular coverage?
lmao, this is so cheap..
btw, how the hell are u suppose to backup ur data if ur battery needs to be replaced (as in, completely dead?). wil the iPhone work with a dead battery when connected to the pc?
Silly Apple fanboys... Why do you need to replace the batteries when you'll be buying new iPhones every year, like Jobs wants you to do with iPods?
$80 for a new battery?!? After a couple years your used iPhone will probably only be worth $100 anyway...who would be insane enough to pay $80 just to extend the battery life? Cell phones depreciate harder than almost anything else.
you're completely right on this...in fact, the same could be said for pretty much every cell phone on the market right now. People don't generally replace batteries on their cell phones, they purchase new phones. So why is this such a point of contention with Apple and not with any other cell phone manufacturer?
Will the phone be returned with the same old casing, plus a few pry-marks, or will they provide a new case with identical serial number engraving?
monopoly (n.) Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service.
Exactly what does Apple have a monopoly on again? Their goal is 1% market share...how exactly will that give them exclusive control over anything?
only Japanese? Majority of Asians are laughing!
i was gonna by an i-phone 'til i heard about all this battery stuff...bought a PS3 instead...
From an engineering standpoint, a rear door would significantly decrease the iphone's structural integrity. Apple routinely chooses quality construction over cheap solutions. It is part of their brand identity. People pay more for Apple products knowing this. The value of quality is not necessarily evident in the spec sheet, but anyone who holds an iphone or other mac product can literally feel the difference. I value the iphone for its design, aesthetic, feel, amazing UI and solid construction. If that makes me a sucker in someone's eyes, I honestly could care less. Its my money and I do not like cheap designs no matter how long the spec sheet. BTW, I suspect many of the people with negative opinions about the iphone either have not used it, or just plain want one but cannot afford it.
Nokia's new slim steel-back phone comes with a removable cover that is as good in terms of structural integrity as anything that comes from Apple.
Yours is just a pathetic excuse to blind us from seeing the daylight burglary Apple is pulling off of iSuckers.
Plus, when the thing is returned after a battery replacement, will it come with scratches and pry-marks? For something as expensive as an iPhone, I would hate to see a careless handler drag it over a hard table and get it scratched. If I were given the option of a battery cover, this would never happen under my hands.
Couldn't you just have the entire back cover slide off, revealing a sealed compartment for everything except the battery?
Then you have no 'ugly' battery compartment, keep the integrity of it whole, and make it replaceable.
Yup. The Nokia model I mentioned earlier is somewhat like that.
80 bucks for a cell battery are you fvcking nuts you can get a car battery for that maybe even a laptop battery
Wow, people really like to nitpick at the iPhone.
Isn't the iPhone battery the first that doesn't have a charge-limit?
e.g. I doesn't die out after 1000 or so charges?
battery technology isnt that advanced. as far as i know, the iPhone should be running a LiPo battery, like the one in the newer shuffle. the only other devives im aware of that use such a battery is archos, LG's chocolate phones, and the iPod shuffle
One reason I don't like Apple - they come up with schemes like this to milk more money from you. It would be simple to put in a freaking door and sell replacement batteries for $30 - that's fair. But to make it so that consumers are forced to send in their phone to replace the battery is messed up. And then to make them shell out $80 AND shipping? Is everyone drinking the kool-aid or is this ridiculous?
As long as the phone comes with some lube the users should be OK.
It's a lithium ion unit like eveyrone else. There is no magic apple battery.
There has been a huge misunderstanding in the press about this.
He wrote: "The iPhone battery will only survive about 300-400 recharges, the company says."
Apple never said that. Apple has been misquoted. It completely contradicts what I have read officially by Apple, but more importantly, it contradicts what it is clearly stated on their website.
After 400 full charge and discharge CYCLES it is designed to STILL hold 80% capacity- still completely useable.
It's right there on their website.
When I typed this into Google:
+400 +cycles +iphone site:apple.com
Not only was the link below found at the top of the results - it actually says, within that result:
"A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles."
If you go to that link:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html
on the right-hand side you can clearly see this information:
Charge Cycles
A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.
It also explains what a charge cycle is.
For an easy example of what a charge cycle is, if you use 50% of the phone's battery everyday, and charge it everyday - it will take 2 days for one charge cycle. By the time you've reached 800 days (400 charge cycles) the battery will by then be at 80% capacity.
The other thing is this:
iPhone Owners
Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your coverage to two years from the date of your iPhone purchase with the AppleCare Protection Plan for iPhone, which is expected to be available in summer 2007. During the plan’s coverage period, Apple will replace the battery if it drops below 50% of its original capacity.
This warranty makes no business sense if the battery will truly die after 400 charges. If it really only "survived" 400 charges, that means they fully intend to replace everyone's battery who buys the warranty. They are clearly confident that even up to two years, most people will have over 50% of their original capacity.