Want to replace the battery in your iPhone? Apple may charge you for other repairs

A British program broadcast on BBC TV, dealing with consumer protection, came up with very interesting information regarding Apple and how the company approaches the current special offer, during which it is possible to have the battery replaced at a discounted price. This action follows a case from earlier this year, when it was discovered that Apple was purposefully slowing down older iPhones with worn batteries.

In recent weeks, there have reportedly been quite a few cases (which are also confirmed by users in the comments under some articles on this topic) where some users have sent their iPhone in for a discounted battery replacement, only to receive an unexpected response. In many cases, Apple has found some sort of 'hidden defect' in these phones that must be fixed before a discounted battery replacement can be made.

According to information from abroad, a lot is hidden behind these 'hidden defects'. Apple usually argues that it's a bug inside the phone that needs to be fixed because it affects the device's behavior. If the user does not pay it, he is not entitled to a discounted battery replacement. Foreign users describe that the prices of these repairs are in the order of hundreds of dollars (euro/pound). In some cases, it is said to be just a scratched display, but the whole thing needs to be replaced, otherwise the battery replacement will not be possible.

According to foreign reports, it seems that the team from BBC TV has stepped into a hornet's nest, because based on this report, more and more disabled users who have the same experience are coming forward. Apple says on its website that if your iPhone has any damage that prevents the battery from being replaced, that will need to be fixed first. However, this 'rule' can obviously be bent very easily and Apple thus forces customers to pay for sometimes unnecessary service operations. Did you experience problems with the battery replacement as well, or did it go smoothly for you?

Source: 9to5mac, Appleinsider

Discussion of the article

[Martin Krocil]

the sloppy display has to be replaced, that makes sense, the service wouldn't put the unglued phone back together, but "other internal repairs" are a typical sign of this brand, i.e. pay for the sheep, pay for the air too :))

[David Urbanek]

I changed the battery in iP6 and iP6s and it went without any problems. I dealt with both exchanges with the Czech Service.