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Apple Considering Offering Rebates to Customers Who Purchased Full-Price iPhone Batteries
Apple is considering providing rebates to customers who purchased full-price iPhones before its reduced-cost $29 battery replacements were made available, reports Recode.
Apple confirmed that it is exploring the option following an inquiry from U.S. Senator John Thune, who asked whether Apple would offer rebates to customers who had already purchased new batteries at higher prices.
Apple vice president for public policy Cynthia Hogan answered Thune's inquiry today and said that Apple is indeed looking into whether a rebate program can be provided to customers. "Yes, we are exploring this and will update you accordingly," she told Thune.
Apple began offering customers with an iPhone 6 and newer low-cost $29 battery replacements starting in December following outrage over the company's decision to introduce an iPhone-slowing power management feature in older devices.
Though the power management feature was first introduced in iOS 10.2.1 early in 2017, the details behind how it works were not fully discovered or explained by Apple until December. As it turns out, in older devices with degraded batteries, the power management feature can result in processor throttling at times of peak usage. Replacing the battery in affected devices solves the problem.
When Apple made $29 battery replacements available to customers in late December it also provided some customers who had already made a purchase with refunds, but the company limited refunds to batteries purchased on or after December 14. Customers who purchased a replacement battery before December 14 at the full $79 price have not been able to get their money back.
Should Apple make a rebate program available to customers who previously made a battery purchase, it would presumably cover customers who purchased replacement batteries earlier in the year.
Apple confirmed that it is exploring the option following an inquiry from U.S. Senator John Thune, who asked whether Apple would offer rebates to customers who had already purchased new batteries at higher prices.
Has Apple explored whether consumers who paid the full, non-discounted price for a replacement batter in an effort to restore performance should be allowed to seek a rebate for some of the purchase price?"
Apple vice president for public policy Cynthia Hogan answered Thune's inquiry today and said that Apple is indeed looking into whether a rebate program can be provided to customers. "Yes, we are exploring this and will update you accordingly," she told Thune.
Apple began offering customers with an iPhone 6 and newer low-cost $29 battery replacements starting in December following outrage over the company's decision to introduce an iPhone-slowing power management feature in older devices.
Though the power management feature was first introduced in iOS 10.2.1 early in 2017, the details behind how it works were not fully discovered or explained by Apple until December. As it turns out, in older devices with degraded batteries, the power management feature can result in processor throttling at times of peak usage. Replacing the battery in affected devices solves the problem.
When Apple made $29 battery replacements available to customers in late December it also provided some customers who had already made a purchase with refunds, but the company limited refunds to batteries purchased on or after December 14. Customers who purchased a replacement battery before December 14 at the full $79 price have not been able to get their money back.
Should Apple make a rebate program available to customers who previously made a battery purchase, it would presumably cover customers who purchased replacement batteries earlier in the year.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
[ 52 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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9 months ago
The only time Apple 'considers' doing the right thing is when lawyers or government officials come calling.
9 months ago
What is right?
The only thing Apple did wrong was not being transparent on this 'issue'.
Batteries degrade, common knowledge.
Maybe Apple should allow 3rd party battery replacements or make it permanently cheaper, €85+ is just too much.
Apple was quite on the wrong side. The problem became a problem because Apple decided for the customers to slow down the phone instead of being honest about the battery issue (like in the macbooks?), when battery needed replacement. Something as "simple" as a battery health status notification would have prevented this all.
Random average iPhone user with a bad battery gets a notification: Battery is degraded. Replacement advised to regain full iPhone performance.
Something as simple as a notification, like this one above, would have prevented many headaches. ;)
Other phone companies don't do that? Sure. As far as we know, no other company slows down the phones though. If battery is bad, they just shut down, so you change the battery and move on with life.
9 months ago
How about those who purchased new iPhones?
They deserve a rebate as well. They thought their phone was defective or out-of-date when they experience heavy lag due to throttle that wasn't disclosed.
(Source: I'm one of these customers)
They deserve a rebate as well. They thought their phone was defective or out-of-date when they experience heavy lag due to throttle that wasn't disclosed.
(Source: I'm one of these customers)
9 months ago
What is right?
The only thing Apple did wrong was not being transparent on this 'issue'.
Batteries degrade, common knowledge.
Maybe Apple should allow 3rd party battery replacements or make it permanently cheaper, €85+ is just too much.
9 months ago
I'd be impressed if Apple would compensate those who purchased iPhone 8 because of recommendations to do so by Apple Geniuses, from their previous iPhone due to the effects of the battery / performance throttling.
Exactly.
There could have been many many people who looked at how slow their old phone was working.
Listened to Apple's staff totally denying they did anything to slow the phone, so assumed, well, I guess it's just getting old, and I need to buy a brand new phone.
Only to find out a few months later a $29 battery was all they really needed.
9 months ago
What is right?
The only thing Apple did wrong was not being transparent on this 'issue'.
Batteries degrade, common knowledge.
Maybe Apple should allow 3rd party battery replacements or make it permanently cheaper, €85+ is just too much.
Batteries degrade but no iPhone other than the 6 has an issue where that degradation causes the phone to intermittently shut down under peak load. On other iPhones the only symptom of the degradation is reduced battery life. There is an obvious design flaw in the iPhone 6 which Apple still refuses to admit.
9 months ago
‘replacement batter’ in the quote.
They should also be considering the permanent price reduction for these replacements. At $29, there is little reason not to do it every year. Having said that, the better solution would just be to develop and use emerging battery technologies that solve this (at least for a few more years) but that always seems to be out of reach and something we’ll see in the future. If there was dedication and funding to develop a particular new battery technology, I’m sure it could be done within a couple of years.
They should also be considering the permanent price reduction for these replacements. At $29, there is little reason not to do it every year. Having said that, the better solution would just be to develop and use emerging battery technologies that solve this (at least for a few more years) but that always seems to be out of reach and something we’ll see in the future. If there was dedication and funding to develop a particular new battery technology, I’m sure it could be done within a couple of years.
9 months ago
What make this all the more funny is that, had the issue not gone 'public' and to court in the first place, Apple would still happily be controlling the iPhone battery and we'd be still be paying full price for replacements. And to those who raised the issue without it gaining traction, their response was simple; like it or lump it.
9 months ago
This is ridiculous. Apple needs new leadership if this is how they are operating now. This is a non-issue. It never needed to be an issue. If Tim Cook had just kept his mouth shut, this would have faded away and Apple engineers could continue to do their job.
Tim has blown tons of cash and good faith on this issue. He's a joke.
Tim has blown tons of cash and good faith on this issue. He's a joke.
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