Prepare To Pay More For Out Of Warranty Battery Replacements From Apple Starting This Spring
NEWS – The cost of replacement batteries on certain Apple products is about to get costlier.
The service fees — specifically, for requests made out of warranty — that Apple charges for battery replacements are set to change beginning next month. A recently updated Apple Support document with regard to “iPhone Battery Repair & Replacement” indicates that the fee will increase by $20 on March 1, 2023.
The price increase affects iPhones released prior to the iPhone 14.
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Not Just iPhones But iPads & MacBooks, Too
According to Ars Technica, the service fees that Apple charges for battery replacements on iPads and MacBookswill be raised as well: up $20 for the former and $30 to $50 for the latter.
Currently, per Ars Technica, it costs $99 for battery replacements on the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. The corresponding prices for a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are $129 and $199, respectively.
As for iPhones, 9to5Mac notes that it costs $69 for battery replacements on the iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13. The corresponding price is even less, $49, for the iPhone SE and earlier iPhone models such as the iPhone 8.
An alternative option for battery replacements, as 9to5Mac suggests, is Apple’s self service repair.
The prices for genuine parts on Apple’s Self Service Repair Store are approximately equal to the cost of getting a battery replacement done through Apple. 9to5Mac presumes that the costs for self service repairs also will see a price increase in March.
Introduced last year, Apple’s Self Service Repair Store offers more than 200 genuine parts — such as replacement batteries — and tools for performing self service repairs on Apple products which, as PCMag reports, includes the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE (third generation).
According to CNBC, the price increase for battery replacements from Apple could drive Apple’s customers to opt for third party repair stores which tend to charge less. It also could prompt owners of older iPhones to buy a newer iPhone instead.
This move by Apple, per CNBC, illustrates how the Cupertino, California-based company is still adjusting its prices in response to higher costs for parts and labor due to inflation.
Engadget notes that the Apple Support document with regard to “Iphone Battery Repair & Replacement” provides no explanation for the rise in cost. The media outlet has asked Apple for comment..
The aforementioned Apple Support document indicates the following information:
“We can replace your iPhone battery for a service fee. Our warranty doesn’t cover batteries that wear down from normal use. Your iPhone is eligible for a battery replacement at no additional cost if you have AppleCare+ and your product’s battery holds less than 80 percent of its original capacity.”
Related Reading: from the “Mac Potpourri” story archives – “Need Apple Product Service Or Repair But No Genius Bar Nearby? The Geek Squad Can Provide Assistance” (July 2019).