Technology
The reduced price for out-of-warranty batteries for iPhone 6 or later models announced by the Cupertino-based company is one of the ways it is addressing customer backlash following revelations it slowed older phones with flagging batteries using software updates.
In this file photo taken on Sep 19, 2014 a man checks an iPhone 6 on the day of its launch at the Apple Store in Paris. (Photo: AFP/Fred Dufour)
SINGAPORE: Apple on Friday (Dec 29) announced the local pricing for out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacements, the same day it apologised for its handling of the issue of flagging batteries on older phone models.
In that statement, the smartphone manufacturer said that to address customers’ concerns over how Apple tried to preserve user experience on older iPhone models by issuing software updates to slow them down, it would be slashing the price of these batteries from US$79 to US$29.
For Singapore, the price for the out-of-warranty battery replacements will be S$38, down from the original price of S$118, when the programme kicks in late January, Apple told Channel NewsAsia. Consumers can head to Apple’s store at Orchard Road or authorised resellers to get their batteries replaced, it added.
The earlier statement said the reduced pricing applies to anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, starting in late January 2018 and worldwide through December 2018.
Apple also said it would issue an iOS software update with new features to allow users to have more information on the health of their mobile device’s batteries. This will come “early in 2018”, it added.
The apology and measures to mitigate the fallout from the incident some have called “batterygate” came after lawsuits were filed against the tech giant in the United States, Israel and France, while there are also reports that similar cases were being readied in South Korea.
