Apple Will Still Replace Your Old iPhone Battery, Even If It's Healthy Or Relatively New

As promised, Apple's discounted battery replacement program for older iPhones is currently underway.

iFixit

It's a move taken by the Cupertino giant apologized to its consumers, promising to repair some of the damage done by its controversial move of slowing down older iPhones to save their battery life. 

However, recent reports suggested Apple was being picky about which phones would be eligible for the discounted battery upgrade -- priced at around Rs 2,000 in India. Apple apparently failed to specify if an iPhone was eligible for the battery upgrade based on whether it failed an official Genius Bar diagnostic test -- a test that Apple runs on an iPhone's battery to ascertain its health.

But refuting those reports, Apple now says that it will replace any eligible battery for a $29 fee (at least in the US), regardless of whether an official diagnostic test shows that it is still able to retain less than 80 percent of its original capacity.

Why is this big news?

It was presumed that Apple was trying to pull a fast one on iPhone users, by applying additional conditions on the eligibility criteria for older iPhones that could get the discounted battery under this program.

reuters

But now Apple's trying to assuage any fears of any preferential treatment given to older iPhones based on an eligibility test -- which is part of its internal process to assess the battery's health.

No more tests, says Apple now. Whoever has an older iPhone 6, 6s, SE, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is eligible to have their older iPhone batteries replaced at the discounted price.