iPhones with aftermarket batteries installed by third-party repair shops are now eligible for service at Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers, according to an internal Apple document obtained by MacRumors from three reliable sources. The change was first reported by French blog iGeneration.
This is significant news for iPhone repairs, as the Genius Bar and AASPs were previously instructed to deny service of any kind for an iPhone with a third-party battery, regardless of the circumstances.
If the repair is unrelated to the battery, the Genius Bar and AASPs are now instructed to ignore the third-party battery and proceed with service as normal, according to Apple's internal document. This could include repairs to the display, logic board, microphones, and so forth, with normal fees applying.
If the repair is related to the battery itself, the Genius Bar and AASPs are now permitted to replace the third-party battery with an official Apple battery for the standard fee. Before starting the repair, the Genius Bar must drain the third-party battery to less than 60 percent of a charge.
In the event Apple cannot safely remove a third-party battery due to broken or missing battery tabs or excessive adhesive, the customer is entitled to an iPhone replacement at the standard whole-unit out-of-warranty price.
The updated guidelines went into effect Thursday and should apply worldwide. Apple will still decline service for iPhones with third-party logic boards, enclosures, microphones, Lightning connectors, headphone jacks, volume and sleep/wake buttons, TrueDepth sensor arrays, and certain other components.
iFixit's director of communications Kay-Kay Clapp:
This decision proves that now, more than ever, the third-party repair ecosystem is an integral part of maintaining Apple's high-quality customer experience. If Apple is getting enough third-party repaired phones for a policy change, they clearly don't have the reach or capacity to maintain all the iPhones that they've sold. All of us, including Apple, benefit from the service provided by the repair community.
Apple similarly loosened its repair policy for iPhones with third-party displays back in February 2017.
Updated on March 7 with minor correction about whole-unit replacement fee.
Top Stories
Seemingly Unreleased Version of Logic Pro X With Live Loops Appears on Apple's Education Site [Updated]
Zoom Updates iOS App to Stop Sending Data to Facebook
Apple Suppliers Worried About iPhone Demand, Production Ramp-Up for New iPhones Reportedly Postponed
2020 iPad Pro Teardown Provides Closer Look at LiDAR Scanner and Confirms Incremental Update
Apple Watch Series 6 Could Feature Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor, Pulse Oximetry and Sleep Tracking Support
Bloomberg: Apple's 5G iPhone Still on Schedule for Fall Launch, But Future Products Could Be Delayed
Kuo: Apple to Launch Several Macs With Arm-Based Processors in 2021, USB4 Support Coming to Macs in 2022
Top Stories: Hands-On With 2020 iPad Pro and MacBook Air, iOS and iPadOS 13.4 Released, iPhone 12 Delay?
Deals: Huge Refurbished iPhone Sale Discounts iPhone 7, 8, X, XR, and XS (From $120)
Top Rated Comments
(View all)This is why Apple service is the best.
Ok.. let's not get ahead of ourselves...This is why Apple service is the best.
Apple shouldn't have denied repairs in the first place. That would have been good service.
I'm wondering if Apple's hand has been forced due to changes of law / threatened law suits in one or more countries?
Ok.. let's not get ahead of ourselves...
I agree with him. I’ve never been disappointed. Many’s the time where they’ve just handed me a new iPhone or iPad and sent me on my way. I’ve found if you know what you’re talking about (“here’s exactly what’s wrong, here’s how I know that this is the issue because here’s everything I’ve tried”) and polite, they treat you very well.