Apple’s discounted battery replacement program is set to expire at the end of the year — but the company will still slightly reduce the original battery swap price after 2018.
The current program lets customers get a new battery in their devices for a flat $29 fee, even out-of-warranty. Though it was launched late last year in the wake of the “Batterygate” controversy, Apple guaranteed that pricing through the end of 2018.
It was unclear whether or not the battery replacement pricing would jump back up to the usual $79 past the end of the year. But the Cupertino tech giant has published an updated support document that suggests at least slightly lower battery prices might be here to stay.
Starting Jan. 1, 2019, battery replacements for many older iPhone devices (full list below) will be priced at $49. That’s higher than the price available through the current program, but still a bit cheaper than the old $79 fee.
Devices eligible for the $49 battery replacement include:
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
On the other hand, getting the battery replaced on any pre-iPhone 6 device will cost the full $79 fee. That includes the iPhone 5s and older.
Battery swaps for edge-to-edge flagships will cost a bit more, too. Getting the battery replaced on an iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR will cost $69. Presumably, that might be because of the newness of the devices or the specific battery used.
But with the new $49 and $69 prices, Apple seems to be sticking with slightly discounted battery replacements for the foreseeable future.
It’s worth noting that the prices don’t apply to devices covered by any AppleCare+ extended warranty. Users with an AppleCare+ can get their batteries swapped for free if required.
The new pricing does mean that any iPhone owner with an older device should take advantage of the $29 battery replacement program before it expires on Dec. 31, 2018.
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