RSSApple Details iPhone Battery Replacement Program
By the Betanews Staff | Published July 5, 2007, 12:24 PM
Although its iPhones won't be out of warranty for another year, Apple is attempting to stave off future bad press -- like it received when iPod batteries began exceeding their life span -- by announcing a battery replacement program. iPhone users will be able to pay $79 plus $6.95 shipping for a new battery.
Because the iPhone's battery is not removable like previous iPods, the device must be sent into Apple for repair. The service will take about three business days, Apple says, and users must back up their data beforehand - a simple process via iTunes. While some might characterize the program as expensive, Apple will still replace non-charging batteries free of cost for the first year, and batteries for other cell phones can run up to $50.
".....the device must be sent into Apple for repair. The service will take about three business days, Apple says, and users must back up their data beforehand....."
That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in my life. If I want to swap the battery in my phone now - I just buy a new battery. There's no way I'd have bought a phone that I had to be without for 3 days while I get the battery swapped. Do you really think that given I've made the choice to buy a mobile phone that I'd really want to be without it for 3 days just to swap a battery? And let's be honest, I think when we say 3 days we're being really generous here. Americans might think the iPhone is so whizzo that they'll wait 3 days for it to come back, but I tell you what - it ain't gonna wash anywhere else. (And that's coming from someone who's overall very impressed by the iPhone). I'll say it again - that's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in my life.
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|"Americans might think the iPhone is so whizzo that they'll wait 3 days for it to come back"
I was going to try to argue that, but I can't. Their are alot of iSheep here. Sorry. I failed you.
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|One more reason to stay clear of the iPhone.
I'll wait for the other phone makers to produce similar phones with a battery I can replace myself.
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|its simple really, most iphone users wouldn't know how to change the battery if it was like EVERY OTHER PHONE. Apple would probably get sued by appleholic who's iphone blew up cuz he tried putting AAA into it. While some features it has are neat, you gotta admit that this thing is an example of mindless consumerist instant gratification hysteria. in all fairness no one is immune , we all buy worthless crap to make ourselves feel good for like 3 mins. You could do better than an iphone for that though.
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|This is innovation!
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|You mean iInnovation.
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|So do users get a temporary iPhone for those "3 business days" that their iPhone and all their personal data is in the hands of some stranger at Apple?
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|They'll probably give you a large brick phone, so when you do get the iPhone back, you will like it that much more.
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|The battery isn't user replaceable unless your good with soldering as it is soldered in. And don't forget that you can't have any physical damage to your iPhone just like the iPods in order for Apple to honor their warranty. Look up other companies for your iPhone battery replacements and your iPod repairs like www.ipodmechanic.com
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|I'm sure any tampering, which includes opening the phone, will void the warranty.
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|all this milking by apple does make one wonder, do they give away a condom with every iPhone they sell ?
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|What they should do is give everyone who buys an iPhone a small bottle of K-Y Jelly, so it won't be as bad when Apple bends them over.
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|Not even K-Y.....
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|Hopefully Apple doesn't run into battery problems like Motorola did with their C332 GSM phone.
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|LOL enjoy your iphone folks.
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|Apple: "We are uber-geniuses at design. How better to show that to mindless consumers than by not allowing them to change their own batteries?"
(Doh! Come to think of it, that would make the iPhooey the *ONLY* electronic device I would own that needed a factory-replaced battery here in the 21st century. Yea, kinda takes away from any "Jetsons" appeal the iPhooey might have.)
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|"Because the iPhone's battery is not removable"
What ?? You cant replace the battery yourself? LOL
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|Well duhhhh. What do you expect. It's made by Apple, the same people that make iPods.
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|still not sure why they decided to make them unremoveable...
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|Considering the phone is already marked up something like $350 over cost, it's obvious that Apple did everything they could to milk extra money out of the blind consumer.
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|Well said.
$79 for a battery is outrage. Even laptop battery cheaper than this.
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|They are definitely milking the customers for all they are worth. Man...I wish I had bought into apple several years ago...
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|Exactly. I can get 4 AA rechargable batteries for $10. Go figure.
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