Apple Charging 20% More To Replace Batteries in iPhone 16 Pro Models (macrumors.com) 39
Apple has increased its out-of-warranty battery replacement fee for iPhone 16 Pro models. From a report: Apple Stores can replace the battery inside an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max for $119 in the U.S., which is up from $99 for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This is a 20% increase to the fee, which includes the cost of a new battery and service by an Apple Store. The fee may vary at third-party Apple Authorized Service Providers. The fee remains $99 for the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Customers with AppleCare+ can still get an iPhone 16 Pro battery replaced for free, but only if the battery retains less than 80% of its original capacity.
Apple says all four iPhone 16 models are equipped with larger batteries, and all of the devices received an internal redesign for improved heat dissipation, according to the company. A metal enclosure was rumored for at least some iPhone 16 batteries, but we are still waiting for teardowns to get a proper look inside of the devices.
Apple says all four iPhone 16 models are equipped with larger batteries, and all of the devices received an internal redesign for improved heat dissipation, according to the company. A metal enclosure was rumored for at least some iPhone 16 batteries, but we are still waiting for teardowns to get a proper look inside of the devices.
Just make the back open (Score:2)
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So it can have an increased chance of water damage. NO THANKS!!
I'll gladly pay $120 to replace the battery in my $1600 device.
I’ll gladly believe that phone is worth $1600 when we stop writing battery replacement FUD clickbait a week after its release.
This is like having recall discussions on 2025 model cars.
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nobody cares what you believe the phone is worth.
objectively it cost $1600 and will cost $120 to replace the battery.
Objectively, it will cost $50 to replace the battery from iFixIt. Why book an appointment with Apple a week or more in advance, make a 45-minute round trip to an Apple store, and potentially wait several hours for them to actually do the battery swap when you can swap it out yourself in 45 minutes?
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Objectively, it will cost $50 to replace the battery from iFixIt.
No it won't. It will cost $50 + tools + time without the insurance that comes with knowing you get a fully functioning device back to you should the person doing the actual work fuck something up.
Also 45min at my billing rates makes it far cheaper to send the device to Apple. I'm not sure why you talk about driving to Apple and waiting around, don't you have better things to do with your time?
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Objectively, it will cost $50 to replace the battery from iFixIt.
No it won't. It will cost $50 + tools + time without the insurance that comes with knowing you get a fully functioning device back to you should the person doing the actual work fuck something up.
That's what the current battery costs, including the tools, though presumably the new ones will be slightly more expensive. And once you have the tools, you can use them for your next phone, and the next phone after that. It doesn't take a genius to swap these things out. As long as the pull tabs work correctly, it's pretty quick and minimally invasive. (Contrast with the Touch Bar Retina MacBook Pro, which requires a deep teardown, logic board removal, and solvent.)
Also 45min at my billing rates makes it far cheaper to send the device to Apple.
So you're going to be without your ph
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Cheap phones such as Galaxy S5 neo had both a user-replaceable battery and water resistance.
They could make the back hold in place with 4 screws.
Anyways, Apple still won't cover water damage so even after that $120 replacement, they won't promise you you can drop it in the water and expect it to work afterwards.
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The problem is that Apple has become a "leader" in making phones less and less repairable, and forever more expensive to repair.
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You've said it yourself. You prefer to pay $120 to have the battery replaced, and somehow you also prefer that the rest of us can't easily replace the battery ourselves. Because you fear that having a user-replaceable battery would reduce water resistance, ignoring the fact that Apple's base warranty won't even cover your phone if it get damaged for getting dropped for 10 seconds in a bath.
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Cheap phones such as Galaxy S5 neo had both a user-replaceable battery and water resistance.
Having had a Galaxy S5 I can tell you right now the water resistance was a bucket of shit. Not only were the seals on the back plate easy to get grime into when removing the plate causing it to no longer be water resistant, but new out of the factory it's water resistance rating is frankly rubbish compared to most modern phones, not just in marketing materials but in actual standards too.
I'll take an IP68 rated phone with all seals unbreakable by the user over an IP67 - but only the day it leaves the factor
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the difference between IP68 and IP67 can be marginal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
What I consider is what type of warranty the manufacturer offers. I'd rather have an IP67 phone where the manufacturer honors the warranty for water damage than an IP68 phone where the manufacturer doesn't. Wouldn't you?
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So the user can replace their own battery.
Yeah, just put a door knob on the back. If my garden shed has one, why not a phone?
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"Yeah, just put a door knob on the back. If my garden shed has one, why not a phone?"
You *do* realize you just made several Apple product designers faint dead away, right?
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Isn't form over function their motto?
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So the user can replace their own battery.
Why yes you can
Apple Self Service Repair https://support.apple.com/self... [apple.com]
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I think it's reasonable (Score:4, Insightful)
it may seem like a lot, but getting an OE battery replacement for that cost is reasonable considering it's a $1600 phone. People should be more outraged over a $1600 phone price.
Re: I think it's reasonable (Score:1)
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Well, the EU requirement that the battery be user replaceable with minimal tools is supposed to be in effect, and from what I read, the iPhone 16 implements it using standard tools to open it.
Given this, well, you're supposed to do it yourself. Or use one of the dozens of hole int he wall mall kiosks that will change the battery in your phone while you wait. Given this, the consumer should know there is no reason to go to Apple to replace the battery anymore.
Not Apple's fault if you didn't want to use the m
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the iPhone 16 implements it using standard tools to open it.
What this means in practice is that you won't need special Apple only tooling anymore. That doesn't mean that it will be possible for the average knucklehead to replace their battery.
That said, mall kiosks are a thing as you pointed out. But given Apple's attack on the right to repair, I wonder which part of the phone will magically turn off after it detects and unauthorised non-genius opened the device.
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The question is if it deters people from getting it done when the phone is say 4 years old. If it does, that is one bit of landfill that could have been avoided with a more reasonable battery replacement fee.
Hopefully the EU moves ahead with requiring user replaceable batteries, and bans nonsense like "pairing" (DRM) designed to stop people using cheaper third party ones.
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it may seem like a lot, but getting an OE battery replacement for that cost is reasonable considering it's a $1600 phone.
Pardon me, what does the overall cost of the device have to do with the cost to replace the battery? The actual cost is X dollars depending entirely on the battery itself. Why would I buy a device that hinges its costs of repair on the original purchase price of the device? Do you think I am stupid?
Wait, its supposed to be easier to change (Score:2)
Less Repairable? (Score:2)
Why can't a trillion-dollar company figure out a way to make a waterproof door on their phone?
Some people say it's an excuse to allow MWG TLA's to turn on the phones remotely, like the A-processor GPU backdoor used to spy on journalists.
A simple removable battery could prove them all wrong.
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You can buy them now, look for handheld tablets marketed to industry.
Yeah I've seen many. None are the dimensions of an iPhone, and those which are have a shithouse water resistance rating. Physics unfortunately still exists even for people who don't believe in science.
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Seems cheap (Score:2)
Both figures still seem cheap to me for an Apple product.
How courageous (Score:2)
iPhone 12 Pro Max (Score:2)
Not sure how everyone measures their change in absolute battery capacity.
My iPhone 12 Pro Max is coming up on 4 years of service (this December), is running iOS 17.6.1, and still chugs along. I charge it at night, it shows 99 or 100% charge in an hour or two, and behaves like it. The biggest hit to battery life is when I'm in a weak cellular coverage area, where the cell band transmitter in the phone needs to use more transmit power to connect, or using the phone out in full daylight, where the screen brigh