Apple made a promise that they will replace all older iPhone batteries for a nominal cost but it looks like the company has hit a hurdle once again, as users are complaining the wait times have significantly increased leaving them frustrated.
The issue started when Apple publicly confirmed that they throttle the speed of all older iPhones every time a new iOS update is rolled out. Apple fanboys and even those who love the brand for its aesthetics were visibly annoyed because they felt that slowing down phones forced them to upgrade even though they may not want to. The company later issued an apology clarifying that they would never do such things to sell products but did it because batteries age quickly, leading to the sub-par user experience.
Apple also added that they will reduce the price of replacing older iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7 and other models’ batteries. Most who were still using the older version of the phones and not the ridiculously expensive iPhone X obviously opted to change their batteries so that they can get a speedy smartphone experience. Latest reports by Barclays Analyst Mark Moskowitz confirmed that Apple stores have officially increased the wait time to get a new battery from 2.7 weeks to 4.5 weeks increasing the wait time to more than a month.
Also Read : Apple Introduces Battery Health Feature and Lets Users Optimize their iPhone’s Performance
Another popular forum where Apple users often share their views witnessed a huge increase in the number of complaints. Most users claim that even though they placed their replacement order weeks ago, they are yet to hear from the particular store. Typically, the store personnel will order a new battery from Apple and can do the replacement only when the company sends them one.
Based on the version of the iPhone you own, the wait time varies from a couple of days to an entire month or even more in some cases. The wait time also varies based on how big the store is and its location because more popular ones tend to receive too many battery replacement requirements everyday. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S are the phones that take the longest to receive a new battery whereas getting one for the iPhone 7, iPhone 7S is much quicker.
People who use the iPhone 6S complain that they have waited months but still haven’t received new batteries yet. Apple claims that they no longer sell these old phones and meeting the battery demand is difficult especially when it’s in large quantities. iPhone users, however, are interested in buying new batteries for just $29 so that they don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars buying an entirely new iPhone despite the annoyingly long wait times.