What are Your Options When Replacing an iPhone Battery?
Like it or not, the truth is indisputable: in the modern age, we live a large chunk of our lives through our phones.
According to a study from 2017, the average American spends about five hours a day on their smartphone.
These hours add up and can begin to affect your phone's performance.
If you've had your current iPhone for a year or two, you’ve probably noticed your battery life running shorter. You also might have heard about Apple’s battery scandal, where they confirmed in late 2017 that a degrading battery could affect the speed of your phone use.
If your phone is running slow, an old battery is likely the problem. Unfortunately, if you’d prefer to repair your own device, Apple doesn't provide easy access to your phone's battery.
iPhone battery replacement can be a confusing business, but don't fret; we'll walk you through the various options you have below.
Testing Your Battery
Before taking the time to replace your battery, there are a few ways to check its current health.
Apple's support team can run a remote diagnostic on your phone if requested. They should be able to tell you if the phone's battery is depleted. Your phone also gives you the courtesy of showing you when your battery is in need of being serviced. You can access this by going to Settings > Battery
If you don't feel like going through Apple (or feel distrustful of them after last year's revelations) there are also apps available to test your phone. Battery Life is a highly used application that will give you a detailed report on your battery's health.
You'll likely first start noticing slowness or reduced retention after a year of use. After two years, these symptoms will likely increase.
Should You Do It Yourself?
DIY iPhone kits exist in the marketplace, which provides you with the small toolkit you'll need to work with the iPhone's proprietary screws and tight casing. These range generally from $15 - $30. While researching home repair kits, take extra care to read the reviews for each product. Even if certain kits are more expensive, you want to ensure you are using the best parts available, so you can avoid having to repair your device all over again.
There's no official guide from Apple provided on how to change your battery -- if you're looking to take this route, the information you'll find is likely from YouTube tutorials and other videos that can help you guide your way.
Inside the phone, you'll find the battery behind more screws and ribbons, glued into the casing with thick globs of adhesive. You must take extra specific care because a wrong move could make your phone unusable.
If you're willing to take the risk, this kind of home surgery is feasible. Without prior experience with iPhone battery replacement, it isn't recommended. After all, If anything goes wrong, you won't have a warranty to fall back on!
Send It Back To Apple?
In the wake of Apple's battery controversy, they promised to replace old batteries through 2018 at a reduced price. Following through on this deal, however, has its own difficulties.
First, you will have to do the above diagnostics test and obtain Apple's confirmation that your battery is significantly depleted.
If an Apple Store isn't located near your home, you'll have to ship the phone back to Apple on your own dime. Apple will provide you a box to send your phone in if you reach out and call. However, these boxes can take up to a week to arrive at your home.
It can take five days or more to repair your phone upon reception at an Apple location -- that's a long time away from your device.
Many Apple Store schedules are filling up because of the announced 2018 price. You should expect wait times, which vary based on phone model.
iPhone 6 and 6s batteries might not be available until as late as April. Later models are expected to be more regularly available but could vary from a location to location basis.
Working With A Professional
There are many third-party providers, including ourselves here at iFixOmaha, who have years of experience in iPhone battery replacement.
What's the benefit of going with a third party establishment?
For one, peace of mind. As we discussed earlier, iPhone battery replacement can be incredibly tricky. Trusting the work to trained professionals can help you rest easy.
These establishments are also typically stronger members of your local community. Developing a one-on-one relationship with your repair technicians can give you a strong shoulder to lean on if any issues arise with your phone in the future.
Your phone is an important carrier of your life's information -- it can be hard to go days without it.
That’s is why working with a local service like iFixOmaha can put time back on your side -- at our stores, repairs and battery replacement take only 30 minutes. No appointments are necessary.
At an extremely affordable $29, we even rival the price of those risky do-it-yourself kits and offer a lifetime warranty on all batteries, meaning you're covered if anything goes wrong in the future.
Local repair shops aren't burdened by the global scale Apple's stores and support centers have to deal with. This allows them to provide services and deals to you that should make the whole experience smoother, easier, and stress-free.
Bringing your phone to a professional service is the safest and most efficient way to get your phone back to peak performance.
Getting Your iPhone Battery Replacement
All batteries by nature disintegrate and degrade over time. It's a natural process.
This means that any phone over a year old is likely running below its designed specifications. No one likes a slow or dying phone!
There are a few paths you can take when looking for an iPhone battery replacement -- we strongly urge you bring it to us. There's a reason we’ve been voted Best of Omaha two years running. We invite you to come in to find out why. We promise the best service at the best price. If you have an old battery, come see us soon.
Book an appointment today and we will replace your iPhone battery in 30 minutes or less.
