After the slowdown episode, Apple apologised for intentionally slowing down older iPhones and announced a battery replacement program. It has now gone live a few weeks ahead of schedule in the US and across several countries around the world, including India.
The battery replacement program was scheduled to start by the end of January 2018. iPhone users with iPhone 6 and above can get their phone batteries replaced at price as low as Rs. 2,000, plus the taxes (down from Rs. 6,500), even if their phones are out of warranty.
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The iPhone Battery Replacement Program
The cost for the replacement of the battery is down to Rs. 2,000/- from Rs. 6,500/- for the out-of-warranty iPhones (iPhone 6 and above). Apple has reduced the price of all the out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacements. The discount offer will be available worldwide for one year, until December 2018.
iPhones Eligible For Battery Replacement Program
In all, seven iPhone models are eligible for the replacement program as of now. They are;
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
What Went Wrong?
The iOS 10.2.1 update had tweaks to downgrade the processor’s performance on iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE devices. Soon, a similar update was issued to the iPhone 7 with the iOS 11. To improve performance, the battery output was compromised in the update. Soon Apple faced a lot of criticism from several users all around the world and had multiple lawsuits filed against them.
Over time, batteries lose their normal capacity to hold the charge. This is a normal behaviour of batteries in all devices. When the performance of the lithium-ion batteries on older iPhones degraded, they caused the iPhones to shutdown unexpectedly. To counter this, Apple issued the update which downgraded the processor performance to ease the load on the battery.
According to Apple, replacing the old battery will return the iPhone’s performance back to the normal levels.
New ‘Update’ Will Improve Performance & Longevity
A new update will be out soon which will dynamically manage maximum performance for basic system components which will prevent shutdowns and will reduce the load on the battery. It will effectively reduce the throttling of the processor.
Apple has also claimed that the update will extend the life of the older iPhones. The new software update will help iPhones to perform better and will help older iPhones like the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus to last longer.
The Apple battery replacement will go on until the end of 2018. Apple will release the new update with battery status monitoring and performance improvement later in the year!