Apple’s iPhone slowdown controversy left a lot of customers angry over their sluggish handsets, leading the company to slash the price of battery replacements to $29 for one year. That offer is going to expire on 31 December 2018 and the brand recently announced what will happen next.
The bad news is that the cost of out-of-warranty battery replacements is not staying at $29 (roughly Rs 2102) like some had hoped. The good news is that it’s not as high as before. Starting from 1 January 2019, replacing the battery for the older iPhone 6 and above will cost $49 (approx Rs 3553).
iPhone Battery Replacement Costs
The iPhone X is the exception here since getting a fresh battery for the phone will cost $69. The brand-new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR will also cost $69 to repair. All other eligible models will have to pay $79, presumably covering models older than the iPhone 6.
Apple actually used to charge $79 for battery swaps before the iPhone slowdown controversy erupted. In India, repairs cost Rs 6500 and dropped down to Rs 2000 after the policy change. The brand hasn’t said what the new minimum figure for the subcontinent will be yet, but it’ll likely be in the Rs 3500 to Rs 4000 range.
Also Read: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, Apple Watch Series 4 pre-orders go live
If you have an old iPhone lying around, now would be a good time to inject it with a fresh battery. You can check it’s battery health by heading to Settings > Battery > Battery Heath. The page will tell you the handset’s maximum capacity.
Apple generally tells people to replace their battery if the percentage falls below 80%. iPhone 6S users should also make note of the company’s unexpected shutdown program which will replace the battery for free if their device is eligible.