Charles Martin
Apple is significantly increasing prices for out-of-warranty battery replacements, this time for the iPhone 16 Pro models.
The new cost of an out-of-warranty battery replacement for the two larger models of the latest iPhone is $119, up from the $99 cost for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The cost remains $99 for the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
Apple last increased the cost of out-of-warranty battery replacement with the iPhone 14 models in 2022. Prices went up from $69 to $99.
As all new iPhones come with at least one year of AppleCare warranty, the change is not expected to be felt by new buyers anytime soon. AppleCare+ warranties can be purchased to cover the cost of most repairs for three years or longer.
Under AppleCare, users can request a free battery replacement service if the battery can no longer retain at least 80 percent of its original capacity. iPhone batteries are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions, while the batteries of the iPhone 15 and later models are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions, according to Apple.
In addition to being larger, the batteries in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models are said to have a new metal shell to help improve heat dissipation. This might require extra labor to replace those batteries, which may explain the replacement cost increase, first noted by MacRumors.
The price for a replacement battery for older out-of-warranty iPhones varies by model. All models of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 can have batteries replaced for $99, while most now-vintage units will see charges of $89 — with the exception of the iPhone SE and the iPhone 8, which retain their $69 battery replacement fee.
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19 Comments
Here is what I think, I think Apple is making it that expensive to change the calculas between keeping the phone and buying a new iPhone.
Lucky several months ago I had Apple replace the battery to my iPhone XS Max.
I'm sure the torches and pitchforks crowd, upon reading this news, is already enroute to set fire to One Infinite Loop. But more rational and fact-based iPhone owners realize the following:
This only affects iPhone 16 Pro models, which will not need battery replacements for years to come. (More about that in a second.) This price increase has no effect on everyone else.
When Apple DOUBLED the expected useful lifespan of iPhone batteries from 500 cycles to 1000 cycles, it effectively halved the total cost of battery replacements for an iPhone held for very long-term use. (Of course, no one rushed to post about that.) And let's remember that "a cycle" counts as one complete restoration of your battery's total capacity. So, in a simple example, if you use 50% of your battery's capacity daily and charge it every night, two nights of charging will count as one cycle. My 15 Pro, now exactly one year old, is charged every night but has only 225 cycles on the battery which is still at 100% capacity.
In addition to 1000 cycle battery life, the 16 Pro models have larger capacity batteries while maintaining energy efficiency. Meaning: the larger battery isn't being used to power a more energy-hungry phone that delivers the same specs as a 15 Pro. The 16 Pro model, for example, estimates 18% more video playback time than the 15 Pro. We'll have to wait for more precise estimates of how much more battery life the 16 Pro models deliver, but one thing is certain: you will end up with fewer cycles on your battery to deliver the same amount of energy, likely a reduction in cycles between 10-15%.
Bottom line: in my case, a 16 Pro, charged every night, is likely to give me 5 years of use before I need a battery replacement. What is there to complain about?