Apple Offers $50 to iPhone Owners Who Swapped Batteries in 2017

Apple Supplier Shares Plunge over In-House Power-Management Chips Credit: AIRS
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Apple is now offering a $50 credit for any customer who paid full price for an out-of-warranty battery swap in 2017, the company announced Wednesday.

The credit will be sent to customers who had the battery replaced on their devices, provided that it was an iPhone 6 or newer. Note that this only applies to customers who had their batteries swapped at an authorized location — like an Apple Store and Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Customers who had their batteries replaced while still under warranty aren’t eligible for the credit.

Apple says it will begin contacting eligible customers between today and July 27. The credit will be distributed as electronic transfers or as a statement credit on a credit card.

If you don’t receive an email by August 1 but you think you’re eligible, be sure to contact Apple directly by the end of the year. If you go this route, proof of service may be required.

Essentially, this $50 credit would go to customers who had their batteries swapped before the whole “batterygate” debacle.

Why?

Last year, Apple introduced a new power management system in iOS 10.2.1 that throttled performance on devices with degraded batteries to reduce unexpected shutdowns.

The move sparked controversy, and critics saw the move as evidence of so-called “planned obsolescence.” Though, arguably, the main issue is that Apple did not properly explain the measure’s inclusion in iOS 10.2.1. At the time, release notes only vaguely indicated the addition of a “power management feature.”

Apple admitted and apologized for the lack of transparency, and began offering discounted $29 battery replacements for iPhone users (which are available through the end of the year). Swapping a degraded battery for a new one basically eliminates the need to avoid unexpected shutdowns, allowing an iPhone to continue running at peak performance.

In addition, the company added new battery health features in iOS 11.3, including the ability to toggle the power management measure off — but at the risk of more unexpected shutdowns.

The $50 credit is the difference between the discounted rate and the original out-of-warranty price for battery replacements: $79.

It’s currently unclear whether or not Apple will continue to offer cheaper battery replacements to customers past the stated expiration date, which is currently Dec. 31, 2018.

Learn More: Avoid Battery Drain on iPhone with These Settings

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