Where to replace the iphone 6s battery. Apple launches iPhone battery replacement program

08.03.2020 Reviews

It's easy to decide.

In late 2017, it was revealed that Apple artificially reduced the peak performance of iPhones with worn-out batteries in order to prevent accidental shutdowns. Company confessed in that, apologized for not telling about the "feature" properly in time and launching replacement program batteries at a reduced price. In Russia, the cost of the official replacement of batteries under the Apple program is 1690-2500 rubles. Is it worth spending your money?

Yes, if your battery is in poor condition

Replacing the battery in the iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 6s / 6s Plus, iPhone SE and iPhone 7/7 Plus under the Apple program throughout 2018 will be estimated at 1,690-2,500 rubles, depending on the service center. The usual cost of replacing the battery in these models is from 6,900 rubles.

Thus, from the point of view of financial benefits, the question of the need to replace the battery in the iPhone under the Apple program is not worth it, since more than 4,000 rubles will be saved.

From the point of view of benefits, battery replacement is recommended for owners of those iPhones whose batteries are in poor condition. A feature that degrades the performance of iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 6s / 6s Plus, iPhone SE, and iPhone 7/7 Plus is triggered when battery capacity drops to 80%. Replacing such a battery with a new one will greatly increase the speed of the smartphone. And, of course, the autonomy will significantly increase, because it will correspond to the state of the new device.

It turns out that the advisability of replacing the battery in the iPhone can be determined by checking the status of the battery. This can be done using this application or with the help this utility for PC... If your iPhone's battery capacity is below the critical level of 80%, replacing the battery is highly recommended. You should also think about the need to replace the battery at such a low price if the battery condition has dropped below 85%. In the latter case, you will not increase performance, since the device is not slowed down, but it will significantly increase the iPhone's battery life.

Obvious life hack

It is very important to note that Apple's battery replacement program will be available at a huge discount until the end of 2018. This means that if the capacity of your battery is still far from both critical and ideal levels, for example, equal to 89%, then checking and replacing the battery in the second half of 2018 would be an ideal option for you.

Apple launched a preferential battery replacement program for iPhone 6 and newer models starting in January, in response to the artificial slowdown of smartphones with worn-out batteries. Apple did not confirm the slowdown of older devices, but after a number of independent studies and extensive discussion, they were forced to admit this fact. As a result, several dozen class claims have been opened against the company in the United States, criminal investigations have begun in a dozen countries, and so far it is impossible to say exactly how this will turn out for Apple. As an apology, the company offered battery replacements for any older phone user who encountered this problem, and cut the cost by more than a third. For example, in the United States, the replacement price fell from $ 79 to $ 29, excluding taxes. For the user, this means that for minimal money you can refresh your device and extend its life by at least one and a half to two years without having to change to a new one. Let's take a closer look at how this program works in the world and in Russia, what are the differences and what you should pay attention to.

What models are involved in the program

Any iPhone starting with the sixth model falls under the battery replacement program, but previous devices do not participate in this program, for example, it will not work to repair the iPhone 5s, the cost of replacing the battery on it remains the same (from five to six thousand rubles on average in Russia, 79 dollars in the USA).

Initially, it was assumed that only devices with a worn-out battery would be replaced, for example, those where there was a slowdown and Apple could determine this. At the moment, batteries are being replaced in virtually any device, with no exceptions. It is not known whether this approach will remain in the future, but there is already an influx of people who want to replace the battery, the flow of people to services in each country has grown significantly, somewhere by an order of magnitude.

Another important point - if your phone is under warranty (regular or extended AppleCare), then you can and must return it under warranty, battery replacement will be free of charge and in priority mode. For example, in Europe or the USA, such a replacement usually means getting a new device. The sign of a defective battery or malfunction is very simple, for example, the device instantly discharges in the cold or does not hold a charge. Here it is only important to have time to contact the company at a time while your guarantee is still valid, so that they can diagnose it.

Countries with active Apple Stores

For the consumer, there are two general scenarios of how an iPhone can be repaired, conditionally they can be divided into countries where Apple has its own stores, and all the rest. Let's consider a simple scenario, namely the countries with Apple stores and how it happens in them.

In theory, you can come to the store and immediately contact a consultant to have a look at your device with you and evaluate the possibility of replacing the battery outside the warranty period. Usually, when contacting the same day, you are denied an appointment, since the consultants are loaded, it is best to make an appointment in advance and indicate what exactly you want to do, in our case, replace the battery. In Los Angeles, I went to the Apple store in The Grove, where I was received right there, I was lucky. The consultant evaluates the device, evaluates its appearance, and disables the Find iPhone function. My iPhone 6 has a worn out battery (more than 1200 cycles in a couple of years), and Apple has reduced the clock speed of the processor on it, which means it is guaranteed to fall under the program.

I was listed and told that the waiting time would be from 5-6 days, since there are no batteries available. You can wait a couple of weeks, since everything depends on the store and its traffic, at the moment there is a stream of people who want to update their batteries.

They wrote out a paper describing the cost of the repair and warned that it was impossible to reuse the preferential battery replacement for this device. Since I did not have time to wait for the battery to be replaced, I took the phone with me, but after a week I did not receive a call to the store, the battery did not arrive. Therefore, those who expect to be able to replace the battery at the Apple Store on a short trip should not rely on it. Most likely, you just won't have enough time. It is not possible to order a battery in advance, so consider other options.

Interestingly, Apple does not have batteries on the iPhone 6 Plus, so the company proposes to replace the devices with the iPhone 6s Plus (new or refurbished, if you are lucky). As for me, this is an interesting offer that is worth taking advantage of, but there is a pitfall - your old device should not be repaired outside Apple (for example, there is a non-original screen and battery), it should not be broken or badly beaten. And such a replacement takes place, despite the fact that your old device has already been removed from the warranty.

You can read the story about replacing iPhone 6 Plus with 6s Plus.

In the event that the test program determines that your iPhone has non-original parts and / or is badly damaged, you may be refused any repairs, including replacing the battery. As well as if you changed the original battery, you will most likely be denied a replacement program. But Apple Store replacement is the easiest, safest and most guaranteed way to get a new iPhone battery for the minimum money.

Russia and other countries without Apple Store

In Russia and other countries where Apple does not have its own stores and service centers, battery replacement looks a little different. The replacement program works, but there are pitfalls to be aware of ashore. Apple has an authorized service provider that performs repairs on behalf of Apple and is independent of Apple and does not belong to Apple. In theory, each service center carries out repairs according to its own price list, based on its own understanding of the market. Over the past years, prices for iPhone services have been approximately the same in different companies, while they repelled each other and the cost of components (Apple does not supply most of the components to Russia, for example, so only the screen could not be repaired, you were changed de - in fact, the whole apparatus, now it is not). The average cost of replacing a battery ranged from 5 to 7 thousand rubles.

Even if you contact Apple support in Russia, you will not be told the cost of replacing the battery under this program, since it differs from city to city, from service to service. The internal cost from Apple, which was set for such a repair, is 1,700 rubles, which is quite consistent with the American or European cost. In our reality, service centers add the cost of diagnostics here (five minutes of collecting information about the device, everything is automated, plus an external examination). Depending on the greed of the service center, the cost of this service ranges from 300 to 800 rubles. In total, it turns out that you will be charged from two to two and a half thousand rubles for replacing the battery. It is pointless to download the rights and demand a replacement for 1,700 rubles, since this cost is not indicated anywhere, but in the regions there are services that offer exactly that price. One of the suppliers of batteries indicated that on average their price ranges from 450 to 550 rubles for a service center. It is not difficult to calculate how much the service receives for its work.

A slippery issue is what they put in Russian service centers as original batteries. These are not batteries supplied by Apple, but these are Apple-authorized batteries from a number of suppliers in China, that is, there can be no problems with them, plus they are covered by a limited warranty (six months, replacement if only the battery died entirely, which is unlikely to happen ). Approximately the same batteries are installed by unofficial services, and depending on the city, the replacement cost will range from one thousand to two thousand rubles. For example, in Moscow, the cost of replacing a battery will be 2,000 rubles with the visit of the master to your house and will take about twenty minutes at most.

In my opinion, for Russia, there is practically no difference in where you put the battery. In official and unofficial services, you will receive the same batteries, their service life will be the same. Another thing is that it is impossible to be sure of the quality of an unofficial service, as well as to properly disassemble the case and maintain protection from water. However, the quality of authorized service centers leaves much to be desired.

Apple support gave me a list of services where you can replace the battery, I tried to contact everyone and find out about the timing and cost of repairs. The first service I chose was MCLABS, they have acceptance in the center of Moscow, as well as in Varshavskaya. The cost of the repair, which was announced by phone, is 2,500 rubles, including diagnostics. The repair period is from two weeks, no batteries are available. We talked with the guy, and he said that he did not remember such an influx of people who wanted to change the battery, about thirty people a day, and this is only at one point with them, in other services the situation is about the same.

In some services, the phones were simply silent and did not answer, no one answered the phone, in some the information was confirmed. The Powerline, located on Nakhimovsky Prospekt, offered to drive up, the cost of repairs is exactly the same, but the terms are shorter, they were not named exactly by phone, but they said that it might take several days at most, but without any guarantees on the timing , as there is an influx of those who wish and they are sewn up.

A bored girl turned out to be on the phone in Service Pro, and we managed to find out the following information from her:

battery delivery times increased dramatically, demand increased markedly, and people went in droves after the New Year holidays;
there are enough batteries in stock for all devices, except for the iPhone 6 / 6s Plus, they are expected in 2 weeks;
IPhone 6 Plus battery delivery dates are not earlier than spring 2018, replacement is not possible at the moment.

I called a dozen services, and I got a clear picture that the average waiting time for repairs in Moscow is about two weeks and more, there is a large flow of people who want to carry out this repair. Where people answered the question of how the flow changed in comparison with December, on average they said that it increased 5-10 times.

To change or not to change? Battery as a consumable

The battery is a consumable item and its capacity decreases over time, so there is no doubt that it needs to be replaced. This raises two questions - you can buy a new smartphone, or you can just change the battery in the old one, then it will work as long as a new one. And if your case is not broken, and the device is quite satisfactory, then it is easier and cheaper to change the battery. Such an updated device is quite capable of working for at least one and a half to two years. And if we talk about the iPhone, then such a replacement makes sense, because when you bought your device, it was a flagship or a model of the middle segment. This is not profitable for the manufacturer, since all this time you will be using a conditionally old device, do not buy something new. But this is a very good option for you, since you can save money on buying a new device.

The scandal around the iPhone is of great importance for the market, since for the first time people went to service centers en masse in order to change batteries, previously this was not a common practice. Apple set a low cost for such repairs, because earlier it was noticeably higher than that of competitors. For comparison, earlier the cost of replacing the battery with Apple was 5-7 thousand rubles, in most Samsung devices this price was 3.5-4 thousand rubles in the official service, and the cost of the battery and the cost of work were divided equally. It should be remembered that the price of batteries for Android manufacturers is higher, since they are larger in capacity, and much more - hence the higher cost.

There is a possibility that other manufacturers will react to Apple's actions and will also reduce the cost of replacing batteries to the level of 2-2.5 thousand rubles, which can be considered a blessing for all of us. But so far this has not happened. In any case, the fact that this topic has surfaced and received such a resonance due to the scandal with the slowdown of the iPhone is good. People will learn to change batteries and extend the life of their devices. This is a boon for services that have gained new customers, and with the right approach, they can turn these customers into loyal ones.

I have a couple of iPhones on which the battery is killed ("six", as well as 7 Plus), I plan to replace the battery on one in Russia, on the second in Europe and then just look at what batteries will be put into the case. But I have no doubt that today the replacement of the battery is justified and gives a second life to these devices, extends their life cycle. Are you planning to do this? What devices? Where - in official or illegal places? Share your experience, both positive and negative, if you were suddenly denied a replacement due to a broken case or previous repairs. In a word, share your impressions. And for those who are not yet ripe for replacement, I advise you to seriously think about it. It's worth it.

Apple has acknowledged the presence of a factory defect in the batteries of some iPhone 6s smartphones, leading to unexpected shutdowns of devices. According to the owners of smartphones, the device could turn off arbitrarily when the battery charge was above 40%.

The company was quick to reassure users by stating that the problematic iPhone 6s did not pose a security threat to their owners, as it did. Earlier, the South Korean tech giant around the world, the new flagship Galaxy Note 7 due to the threat of an explosion or fire of its battery, and subsequently completely stopped production of this model.

The defective battery issue only affects a small batch of iPhone 6s manufactured between September and October 2015, Apple says.

How to check if my iPhone 6s is participating in the Battery Swap Program

1 ... Check the serial number of your iPhone ().

2 ... In the event that the 4 and 5 characters of the serial number match one of the pairs of letters below, your iPhone belongs to a defective batch:

Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9
QC
QD
QF
QG
QH
QJ

Or use the special form on the Apple website.

What to do if you have just such an iPhone 6s

Owners of a defective iPhone 6s can contact an Apple Store or Authorized Service Center. Apple will check the serial number of the device and, if it is confirmed to be a defective batch, the company will replace the battery free of charge. If the owner of the problem iPhone 6s has already paid for the replacement battery, Apple will refund the money spent.

Apple launched a replacement program on its website after the China Consumer Association asked the company to investigate complaints related to the sudden and in some cases permanent shutdown of iPhone 6 and 6s smartphones.

The owners of this smartphone, who are faced with the problem of rapid discharge, "incontinence" of charging, are interested in replacing the battery. And in this case, they have two solutions: 1 - Contact the service, where the specialists will carry out the replacement work, providing a guarantee. 2 - Do it yourself, saving money. If everything is clear with the first option, then what about the second? After all, what are the guarantees that you will not damage the iphone 6s and in general will be able to do it efficiently?

Remember: If you have a warranty period, then during the replacement you have the option to "fly off" the warranty. Changing the iPhone 6s battery is far from the easiest operation, and if you replace it, you need to do it according to the instructions and have special equipment. Self-replacement is always a risky business, because you can damage, scratch or even "kill" the device. In case of self-replacement of the battery, you yourself are looking for components - and they may turn out to be of poor quality. Having given it to a special service, you entrust the work to a professional who will replace the battery in the shortest possible time, while “taking” not so much money for the service.

Is it worth it - to suffer - to change yourself?

). Fortunately, the process of disassembling and replacing the battery on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is not difficult. We talked about it in detail in this guide.

Difficulty: medium.
Time required: 20-50 minutes.

What is needed

Phillips (1.2mm, 2.2mm, 2.8mm, 2.9mm) and 3.4mm five-sided (Pentalobe) screwdrivers.
Sucker.
Dielectric blade (Spudger).
Plastic tool.
Tweezers.
New battery for iPhone 6s / 6s Plus.

Step 1. Remove the two 3.4mm P2 Pentalobe screws next to the Lightning connector.

Step 2. Attach the suction cup to the lower left corner of the iPhone display. Note that unlike many other iPhone models, you cannot position the suction cup over the Home button when disassembling the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Step 3. While holding the iPhone, pull the suction cup upward until there is a small gap between the bezel and the back of the case (as in the image below). Important! Pull slowly without jerking to avoid damaging the device.

Step 4. Place the flat edge of the dielectric paddle in the gap between the shield and the case in the lower left corner (near the audio jack). This is the safest place to use when parsing.

Step 5. Rotate the paddle 90 degrees to widen the gap between the front bezel and the rest of the smartphone.

Step 6. Insert the flat end of the dielectric spatula into the gap between the display and the case on the left side of the smartphone. Run a spatula all the way to the top left corner to peel off the adhesive and release the clamps.

Step 7. Perform a similar procedure first on the bottom edge.

And then on the right side.

Step 8. Pull the suction cup to open the display at an angle up to 90 degrees to remove the remaining adhesive. Then remove the suction cup.

Step 9. Open the iPhone by lifting the face upward about 90 degrees. For greater convenience and safety when working with a smartphone, it is recommended to lean it against something, for example, an iPhone package. For reliability, the smartphone and the box can be fastened with an elastic band.

Step 10. Remove the two screws that secure the battery cable holder:

One 2.9mm screw.
One 2.2mm screw.

Step 11. Using tweezers, remove the plate.

Step 12. Using the sharp end of a dielectric spatula or a plastic tool, disconnect the battery cable.

Step 13. Move the ribbon away from the connector in order to avoid accidental connection of the ribbon during operation.

Step 14. Remove the four screws:

Three 1.2mm screws.
One 2.8mm screw.

Step 15. Remove the LCD ribbon holder.

Step 16. Disconnect the front camera cable.

Step 17. Disconnect the touch display ribbon cable. Important! When reassembling the iPhone and connecting the touchscreen flex cable, never press down on the center of the flex cable. To connect, first press on one end of the cable, and then on the other. Pressing on the center of the ribbon cable can damage the digital converter.

Step 18. Disconnect the data cable.

Step 19. The front panel is completely detached from the back of the case! Set the display aside.

Step 20 Using blunt tweezers, peel back the tips of the two adhesive strips on the bottom edge of the battery. Important! Use only blunt tweezers or peel back the strips with your fingers. Piercing a lithium-ion battery can release hazardous chemicals. Important! Hold the battery while removing the second strip.

Step 23. For iPhone 6s Plus only. Gather the ends of all three adhesive strips into one bundle. Important! Try not to curl the strips, always keeping them straight.

Step 24. Carefully pull the strips towards the bottom of the iPhone. Pull slowly and try to keep the strips away from the smartphone component to avoid tearing.