Apple responds to iPhone battery replacement controversy

14 August 2019
The company says it takes your safety very seriously and wants to make sure any battery swap is done properly.

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  • Z
  • Zee
  • KZK
  • 14 Dec 2022

Cutting everything in term of profit ss

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • 7Xh
    • 18 Aug 2019

    Customer: Hey Apple!!! My phones not working after replacing batteries with a new certified apple battery thats costs $$$$$$.

    Apple: You're charging it wrong!!!!

      Ray, 15 Aug 2019For me zero problems with those "dangerous" batteries... My... moreit escapes me: where I mentioned "dangerous" in my text? anyhow, in those two hours you spent replacing the batteries (+ costs...) I make sufficient to buy a new phone. so, a matter of efficiency...

        • M
        • MKL
        • ke}
        • 17 Aug 2019

        aknsreddy, 15 Aug 2019Yes whole world knows it and embraces it as it is. Apple is... moreYou said it and people started to listen to you. Every quarter iPhone sales plummeting. Cool.

          • R
          • Rimgelis
          • TXP
          • 16 Aug 2019

          This kind of forceful monopolisation of maintenance services should surely attract the attention of competition authorities.

            • w
            • wasox
            • 8V{
            • 16 Aug 2019

            Anonymous, 15 Aug 2019Hello! calling Earth to Mars, vehicle and gadgets... not lo... moreHello, hello, have you heard about analogies? If car makers do not take actions regarding safety by forbiding repair or substitution of parts when multiple lives are involved, then why so much concern about a much simpler and way less potentially dangerous little battery? Think (if you can) before babbling childish statements

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • Pxc
              • 16 Aug 2019

              gam30to, 15 Aug 2019Well. Anyone with common sense knows no company "cares" abo... moreWell I agree that every company don't care about you but this move from Apple is just too obvious, you think?

                gam30to, 15 Aug 2019Well. Anyone with common sense knows no company "cares" abo... moreNo, THE DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCTS AS WELL. They only and only care about money nothing else. It is a big deference between what you say and what Apple is doing.
                They are many companies, these care about their customers, their products, being fair and of course make money too but Apple's concern is 100% making money nothing else.
                Actually your comment make you look ... not mine if you really think Apple makes Good products to make sure your're happy and buy more.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • 3Jn
                  • 15 Aug 2019

                  Ray, 15 Aug 2019From brands like Apple or Samsung, etc. Out of warranty pho... moreI see, but the point was that the Samsung repair centre would refuse to repair your phone for free even when it's still under guarantee - if they find out some unofficial one pried in it. Of course the interview included the assurance that they assess the warranty void on a case by case basis but it lacked any numbers (accepted/rejected cases) to support the argument.

                    • D
                    • AnonD-731363
                    • SH3
                    • 15 Aug 2019

                    Well this company have detour for everything.
                    They just cant say truth but have to lie to its customers all day all night its allright becase apple can.
                    Now blame who??? Your service centre because apple can???
                    Funny.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • 7tm
                      • 15 Aug 2019

                      This would come under anticompetitive/antitrust. In the US, they have judgements based on wherever something affectively results in the offence. So, putting a warning and denying battery health warning, dissuades customers from using cheaper competition, and is a potentially deadly safety hazard, as you can not judge the battery life of your phone in order to judge how to rely on it in situations leading to damages and even loss of life during emergencies, or in emergencies caused by an unexpected flat battery. Hence, potentially more harm and good. Not to mention stalking, controlling, manipulative behaviours on somebody else's property (phone). Crippling or removing a function is affectively vandalism. So, damages all around. But then again, maybe this sort of affective test does not apply here.

                        • A
                        • Adul Al Salami Kebab
                        • nrX
                        • 15 Aug 2019

                        Jerryrigeverything or Rossman are clearly certified professionals! O3O

                          • R
                          • Ray
                          • 0Wf
                          • 15 Aug 2019

                          Anonymous, 15 Aug 2019Not sure if the fire of this discussion could be dampened e... moreFrom brands like Apple or Samsung, etc. Out of warranty phones under certain value don't worth to be repaired by them. And the care plans like AppleCare doesn't make sense too.

                          Several repair cost as much as a new premium phone so don't worth waste the money in an expensive repair. For that reason is always a need ask for a proforma invoice or official final cost even if you have to pay a few bucks that don't comprimise you to pay the repair if you are not agree with the price.

                          The prices of the repairements are obscene. That and the technicians there know it. I already talked with more than one about it. And they are agree in private that a lot of phones doesn't worth to be repaired and several people end up very disappointed and angry after discover how much the have to pay. As much as a newer and better phone for the same price of the repair.

                          So the official services are only plausible and advisable under official guarantee or in certain circumstances. But many times it is not convenient to use them. So if we are going to talk about them, better tell the whole truth and not pretend to sell us the chimera that they are always the best option.

                            • g
                            • gam30to
                            • RXg
                            • 15 Aug 2019

                            Dr. Chillo, 15 Aug 2019Just imagaine Apple cares about customer's safety. Even thi... moreWell. Anyone with common sense knows no company "cares" about you. A company generally wants to build a reputation that they care about the safety of their products. By doing that customer will have confidence in your products and buy more. Simple as that. So please don't think "oh it's funny apple cares" of course they care in order to make more money. for you to even make that comment just makes you look... you know. laughable.

                              Just imagaine Apple cares about customer's safety. Even thinking about it makes me laught.
                              Thinking about Apple cares about anyone or anything except money is making me laugh even louder.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • 3Jn
                                • 15 Aug 2019

                                Not sure if the fire of this discussion could be dampened even a tiny bit, but...
                                There was an interview with the director of Samsung's branch in one Middle European country. He mentioned that in some cases, customer who buys a Samsung phone from a retailer and pays a premium for an insurance plan might need to pay for repairs in an authorised service even if still under warranty after the retailer/insurer gets the phone repaired in an unauthorised service and even if original parts are used. Reason? The authorised service centre technicians have the expertise, equipment, blueprints, SOPs, and training to perform the repair in the proper way. The third party service doesn't have access to all of that so their work cannot be considered equal.
                                I can't see much difference in Apple's and Samsung's approach here. As for the car analogies - I haven't read it but EVs' warranty policy might be an interesting read :) And I've been involved in one recall where the conditions specifically said "service will be offered for free UNLESS ANY aftermarket parts found upon the inspection of the car"
                                Regarding user-swappable batteries, I haven't had much luck with non-genuine replacement batteries in my past cell phones. Most failed to come close to the battery life of the genuine ones. The last one (in Lumia 950) even refuses to charge more than 50 %, whatever charger/cable I use. :/

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 0Wf
                                  • 15 Aug 2019

                                  Anonymous, 15 Aug 2019Guys, try to be a little bit more reasonable! Also do a lit... more- When you buy a used/refurbished phone you don't have any idea of how many chinese batteries it has been installed in it because the only thing you know is that the last one is original and the last owner used an official service and/or a friend working there to install the original one... with the purpose of sell it to you more expensive if directly or use it as a discount to a new iPhone re-inserting it in the official chain of refurbished phones.

                                  - The resale value is the one you want to pay. That phone can be repaired in an official due to damage water, blow up battery or who knows with non detectable damage and as you are buying it refurbished you could en losing your data and phone with the only waranty that if it's was purchased from Apple then they'll repair it if it's still under the warranty they gave you. If it comes from a particular then the warranty you have is ZERO.

                                  - The re-repaired phones can be officially sold refurbished too. And you unknown how many hands the device have passed.

                                  - Oh yes the official replacement is a lot more expensive. You, of course, get battery warranty and service. But that don't guarantee that that battery is better than a generic one. It can fail equally like any other product even after pass the QC.

                                  - There are some batteries with the same size an extra capacity you can purchase and better quality than the original ones. The original brands usally are too greede and buy the most convenient for it wallet not your wallet so they tend to put the smaller one possible. And Apple is famous for use the smaller ones they can for a reason... It'll not the first time to watch an Apple phone battery burned, not only the Note 7 did in the past, you can find videos of original new Apple phones that failed like any product can fail. Rarely but possible.

                                  - Those official phones with a lot of repairement that was re-inserted by a friend are official too, with who knows what history, and yes you could end with one of them too.

                                  And so on... There you have your warranty of what you are buying. None if bought from a particular. None about its history and previous owners. And only X months or a year of warranty if its from an official store. Like with other non as pseudo-jewelly premium brands like Apple pretend be.

                                  Of course, when Apple sell you a reburbished one is an overpriced one too for maximize and maintain its margin profits. That is a sign of identity they can avoid in Apple.

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                                    • Endel
                                    • MAn
                                    • 15 Aug 2019

                                    Do I understand it correctly that Apple claims to be improving the safety of the phone by forcing independent repair shops to use incorrect configuration for a battery management microcontroller?

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                                      • Anonymous
                                      • i8x
                                      • 15 Aug 2019

                                      Guys, try to be a little bit more reasonable! Also do a little research (in this case Youtube is your friend)

                                      The pros and cons of this:
                                      Pros:
                                      +When buying a used/refurbished phone you will know if it has an Apple original battery (or if it has been opened before by someone who most likely didn't reseal it)
                                      + You will know if your phone's battery is fake/unsafe/inadequate. After all there are NO genuine apple batteries except from apple.
                                      + Resale value remains high
                                      + Apple will know if stories of "exploding phones" are true or just people with cheap batteries trying to get money from a rich company.
                                      + People are more likely to take their phones to apple for battery replacement which will make sure the phones are resealed properly, battery is the exact same size (VERY commonly non-OEM batteries are not, causing banding of the LCD screens), phone's are as should be.
                                      + Battery replacement is £45 for phones that are 2+ year old (in Europe warranty is 2years). £65 for more recent models until they are 2 years old BUT for these phones battery replacement is FREE given the phones are still within warranty. A third party asks for £25-40 anyway and use non-OEM batteries and don't reseal the phones like apple does. A battery for a galaxy phone cost £30 for just the part.
                                      + Not a big deal. You can still use the phone just fine.

                                      Cons:
                                      + Battery replacement can be twice more expensive at apple vs third parties.
                                      + You can't DIY it from spare phones for personal use or getting rid of phone on Ebay
                                      + Repairs difficult for countries without apple stores.
                                      + Resale value of phones with non-OEM batteries can be impacted.

                                      This is NOT new btw. My old iPhone 5S will not display battery usage information with a non-OEM battery which i replaced years ago. The reason is that there is a chip on the batteries which counts the charging cycles and controls the performance of the battery. That chip is missing from non-Apple batteries.

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                                        • UI Goku
                                        • srr
                                        • 15 Aug 2019

                                        Screw what Apple says. IT IS NOT A FEATURE. What they say doesn't represent what we see and therefore doesn't count.