PSA: Last Chance to Get Your iPhone Battery Replaced By Apple for Cheap

One good thing to emerge from the iPhone slowdown saga, where Apple admitted to slowing down old iPhones to prevent unexpected shutdowns, was that the price of out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacements were slashed. The price for replacing the battery of an iPhone that's not in warranty used to be approximately Rs. 6,500 but for a limited time, it was reduced to Rs. 1,995. This discounted price, however, is valid only till December 31, 2018. If you have an iPhone that's eligible for an out-of-warranty battery replacement, we highly recommend that you get the battery replaced before the deadline.

How to get an iPhone battery replacement

The process for getting an iPhone battery replacement is quite straightforward. You can book a service appointment online via the Apple website, but this was of no use for us in Mumbai because the standard service process in at least two Apple service centres in the city appears to be offline-only. Even if you take an online appointment, you will have to take a token at the service centre and wait for your turn. Follow these steps.

1. Find your nearest Apple service centre via the official Apple website.
2. Go the service centre and take a token (usually this can be done via an iPad that's near the counter).
3. Wait for your name to be called by one of the service representatives.
4. Go to the counter and let the service representative inspect your iPhone. They will run a diagnostics check, and inspect for physical damage.
5. If everything's fine with your iPhone, they'll tell you that your iPhone is cleared for an out-of-warranty battery replacement. You can make the payment and take your iPhone home with you.
6. In 2-3 working days, a service centre representative will call you and ask you to visit the centre again. Once you do that, you can again follow steps 2 and 3, and get your iPhone battery replaced. It takes 30-45 minutes for the battery to be replaced.

Two of us at Gadgets 360 got this done recently. For one person, the payment had to be made in advance and for another just Rs. 500 was charged at the diagnostics stage, with the remaining amount to be paid at the time of the iPhone battery replacement. Your mileage may vary, but we thought it's best to report our experiences at different Apple service centres.

Which iPhones are eligible for discounted out-of-warranty battery replacement?

The following iPhones are eligible for an out-of-warranty battery replacement:

• iPhone SE
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone X

Till when is the discounted battery replacement valid?

Discounted out-of-warranty battery replacement is valid till December 31, 2018.

How much does it cost to get a battery replacement?

The normal price for an iPhone battery replacement is around Rs. 6,500. If you get this done before December 31, 2018, the price is Rs. 1,995.

Did you get your iPhone battery replaced recently? Share your experience via the comments.