All iPads Any successful $99 battery replacement service?

[Christopher Kim]

Just as another point of reference - this week, I took my 10.5" iPad Pro in for battery service at an Apple Store (made an appt). This is the iPad I had before I got my current 2018 11" iPad Pro, which I've given to my 8-yr old and it's been their primary device for the last 3 years.

Coconut Battery showed 69% - manufactured 2017-10-19, though only 467 cycles. I thought it would be safe that even w/ the Apple "add back", it would be <80%. I was quite surprised their diagnostic showed 89%!

While I don't use it primarily anymore, my kids would say they had seen a noticeable decrease in battery life the past few months. It's definitely not unusable, but I was hoping I'd be able to refresh the battery for the $129 as it has lots of life in it given it's for my kid. So basically they said they couldn't do it for the battery replacement price - but basically for $419 (given it's basically a like-new refurb device you get). Obviously at that price doesn't make sense, would just buy a newer iPad. So no choice but to continue keeping it and see if maybe 6mo-12mos from now, maybe something will change and will degrade quickly on Apple's diag tools.

Part of why I wanted to try it as the possibility that if there's a big iPad refresh next year (as rumored), it's possible they'll vintage the 2017 10.5 iPPs, and we won't be able to have this opportunity any longer (at least guaranteed, think it's as-supply-inventory-lasts).

A bit disappointing, though I understand Apple's position on it. I do wonder how Apple's tools estimate the battery health... I wonder if my relatively lower cycle count of 467 was a larger determinant in its mind?

 

[FeliApple]

Just as another point of reference - this week, I took my 10.5" iPad Pro in for battery service at an Apple Store (made an appt). This is the iPad I had before I got my current 2018 11" iPad Pro, which I've given to my 8-yr old and it's been their primary device for the last 3 years.

Coconut Battery showed 69% - manufactured 2017-10-19, though only 467 cycles. I thought it would be safe that even w/ the Apple "add back", it would be <80%. I was quite surprised their diagnostic showed 89%!

While I don't use it primarily anymore, my kids would say they had seen a noticeable decrease in battery life the past few months. It's definitely not unusable, but I was hoping I'd be able to refresh the battery for the $129 as it has lots of life in it given it's for my kid. So basically they said they couldn't do it for the battery replacement price - but basically for $419 (given it's basically a like-new refurb device you get). Obviously at that price doesn't make sense, would just buy a newer iPad. So no choice but to continue keeping it and see if maybe 6mo-12mos from now, maybe something will change and will degrade quickly on Apple's diag tools.

Part of why I wanted to try it as the possibility that if there's a big iPad refresh next year (as rumored), it's possible they'll vintage the 2017 10.5 iPPs, and we won't be able to have this opportunity any longer (at least guaranteed, think it's as-supply-inventory-lasts).

A bit disappointing, though I understand Apple's position on it. I do wonder how Apple's tools estimate the battery health... I wonder if my relatively lower cycle count of 467 was a larger determinant in its mind?

I think that battery health alone is enough for Apple to deny the replacement, but your cycle count doesn’t help. You could request an exception if it were something like 82% with a cycle count of 1800, but not only does Apple claim 89%, but cycle count “agrees”, what with it not being high enough to disprove their assessment by itself.

A high cycle count wouldn’t guarantee anything, but it could give you an opening that you don’t currently have.

 

[Christopher Kim]

Yah I agree, I don’t think this is worthy of an exception. I was actually surprised at how few cycle counts there were.

It’s fine for now - the 10.5” iPP is still very useable. Let’s see what happens if/when a new iPad refresh comes out next year, and whether it’s put on the vintage list or not. Hopefully not!

 

[Glee217]

Apple seems to deliberately not replacing the battery on purpose even if it is needed badly. This way they make you buy a new/refurbished iPad for alot more. My 10.5” pro is slight going strong w/o screen issues that some might have but the battery does seem to be dropping fast lol

 

[mlody]

Apple seems to deliberately not replacing the battery on purpose even if it is needed badly. This way they make you buy a new/refurbished iPad for alot more. My 10.5” pro is slight going strong w/o screen issues that some might have but the battery does seem to be dropping fast lol

If the battery health is still 80% or higher, Apple won't be able to process the service as a battery service, hence they will quote you a service quote as 'other damage' which essentially is a full replacement price. That option is typically very bad deal and not worth it, unless you have a system with one of the higher tier storage where re-purchasing a new one will be much more expensive than the base model.

 

[Christopher Kim]

Apple seems to deliberately not replacing the battery on purpose even if it is needed badly. This way they make you buy a new/refurbished iPad for alot more. My 10.5” pro is slight going strong w/o screen issues that some might have but the battery does seem to be dropping fast lol

Yes, who knows what factors Apple's diagnostic tools go into estimating a "battery health percentage". All we know is that anecdotally, it tends to be a fair amount higher than CoconutBattery. Whatever their algorithm is, you're right that on the margin, I'm sure they "estimate high", vs "estimate low", given the incentive that they on the margin, they'd rather encourage people to buy a new device earlier...

 

[Etienooo]

My launch day iPad Pro 2018 is at 1,741 cycles after about 1,950 days.
I could hardly use it more and still it’s not eligible yet.
It might be considered a vintage product before being eligible.

 

[Christopher Kim]

My launch day iPad Pro 2018 is at 1,741 cycles after about 1,950 days.
I could hardly use it more and still it’s not eligible yet.
It might be considered a vintage product before being eligible.

Wow that's a lot of cycles! What Battery Health % did it show on Apple's diagnostics (assuming they showed it to you when they rejected you), and what % does it show on something like Coconut Battery if you're able to check?

 

[Etienooo]

Wow that's a lot of cycles! What Battery Health % did it show on Apple's diagnostics (assuming they showed it to you when they rejected you), and what % does it show on something like Coconut Battery if you're able to check?

Last time I asked I was at 1,518 cycles and Apple reported 83%.
PowerUtil reported 79% and is currently reporting 77.95% for 1,742 cycles.
I’m waiting for the 2,000 cycles before asking Apple again, l will keep this thread updated.
I didn’t mention it in my previous post but it is the 12’9.

 

[EugW]

Last time I asked I was at 1,518 cycles and Apple reported 83%.
PowerUtil reported 79% and is currently reporting 77.95% for 1,742 cycles.
I’m waiting for the 2,000 cycles before asking Apple again, l will keep this thread updated.
I didn’t mention it in my previous post but it is the 12’9.

Be careful with that strategy. Note that if you wait too long, you may never be able to get it replaced even if the battery replacement program is still on.

I tried to get my iPad Air 2's battery replaced under the program many years ago. It qualified, but Apple wouldn't do it, because the device was too old. The battery replacement program was still in effect for that model at that time, but it had gotten to the point where replacement units were no longer available, so they were unable to fulfill that replacement request. I called several Apple Stores and Apple authorized third party shops and they all said they couldn't do it, because they all order the replacements from Apple anyway, and Apple no longer had stock.

Now the battery lasts literally not even 10 seconds if I try to play a video. It only works when plugged in.

 

[Bigwaff]

Follow the instructions here to download a Shortcut named Battery Stats for determining your iPad battery health. The data used to determine battery health is mined directly from analytics data generated by Apple on your iPad. I imagine these analytics files are what Apple will use in its "health" calculation.

Your iPad has a hidden battery health feature — here’s how to check it

Apple hasn't given iPads a Battery Health feature yet — but this is how you can check anyway

www.tomsguide.com

 

[FeliApple]

Be careful with that strategy. Note that if you wait too long, you may never be able to get it replaced even if the battery replacement program is still on.

I tried to get my iPad Air 2's battery replaced under the program many years ago. It qualified, but Apple wouldn't do it, because the device was too old. The battery replacement program was still in effect for that model at that time, but it had gotten to the point where replacement units were no longer available, so they were unable to fulfill that replacement request. I called several Apple Stores and Apple authorized third party shops and they all said they couldn't do it, because they all order the replacements from Apple anyway, and Apple no longer had stock.

Now the battery lasts literally not even 10 seconds if I try to play a video. It only works when plugged in.

iPadOS 15?

 

[FeliApple]

Follow the instructions here to download a Shortcut named Battery Stats for determining your iPad battery health. The data used to determine battery health is mined directly from analytics data generated by Apple on your iPad. I imagine these analytics files are what Apple will use in its "health" calculation.

Your iPad has a hidden battery health feature — here’s how to check it

Apple hasn't given iPads a Battery Health feature yet — but this is how you can check anyway

www.tomsguide.com

No, it’s something different. Nobody knows how Apple reaches their number, but this matches Coconut (if I’m not mistaken), and Apple’s number is always (a lot) higher. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro was at 84% according to Coconut. I asked Apple, for curiosity’s sake: they claimed 93%.

 

[EugW]

iPadOS 15?

Yes, but that is not the problem.

We have two iPad Air 2s, both with iPadOS 15.8.1. The other iPad Air 2 was purchased later and had previously seen less usage, and it works just fine because its battery is still in acceptable condition. I mean iPadOS 15.8.1 is laggy and the performance of the iPad isn't great overall, but there are no major problems like immediate shutdowns, etc.

 

[FeliApple]

Yes, but that is not the problem.

We have two iPad Air 2s, both with iPadOS 15.8.1. The other iPad Air 2 was purchased later and had previously seen less usage, and it works just fine because its battery is still in acceptable condition. I mean iPadOS 15.8.1 is laggy and the performance of the iPad isn't great overall, but there are no major problems like immediate shutdowns, etc.

I wouldn’t be so sure, degraded batteries and fully updated devices is the worst combo ever, they’re unusable.

 

[EugW]

I wouldn’t be so sure, degraded batteries and fully updated devices is the worst combo ever, they’re unusable.

Well, the point is it's because of the degraded battery not because of the updated OS per se. With a non-degraded battery, the OS and the apps work fine, as exemplified by our other iPad Air 2. Furthermore, I've never had this problem with other iDevices and Macs regardless of the OS, unless the battery was in really bad shape.

On the flip side, I suspect even with older OSes, it'd have the same problem with this degraded battery. For the record, this battery is literally several years after Apple refused to do the battery replacement, despite confirming the battery needed replacement. I also get this problem on my Mac laptops when their batteries are near death, even when I run earlier OSes.

 

[FeliApple]

Well, the point is it's because of the degraded battery not because of the updated OS per se. With a non-degraded battery, the OS and the apps work fine, as exemplified by our other iPad Air 2. Furthermore, I've never had this problem with other iDevices and Macs regardless of the OS, unless the battery was in really bad shape.

On the flip side, I suspect even with older OSes, it'd have the same problem with this degraded battery. For the record, this battery is literally several years after Apple refused to do the battery replacement, despite confirming the battery needed replacement. I also get this problem on my Mac laptops when their batteries are near death, even when I run earlier OSes.

I have an iPhone 6s running iOS 10 with like 60% health and battery life is like-new, I still think that on iOS 8 it would be very different, honestly.

Macs... I’m not sure. I don’t have enough data to tell whether it can withstand low health with efficient software. Perhaps, unlike iOS devices, Macs cannot.

 

[EugW]

I have an iPhone 6s running iOS 10 with like 60% health and battery life is like-new, I still think that on iOS 8 it would be very different, honestly.

Macs... I’m not sure. I don’t have enough data to tell whether it can withstand low health with efficient software. Perhaps, unlike iOS devices, Macs cannot.

Our iPhone 6s with 70-something % battery ran iOS 15 great until we sold it. And that iPhone 6s was reasonably peppy on iOS 15 too, faster than the iPad Air 2.

If you just like having old versions of iOS around that's great, but if you actually want to make full use of the devices, IMO it's usually not a very good idea to stick with such old versions of the OS due to lack of functionality and app compatibility. In my experience, the best balance between functionality/app support and speed/battery life is usually about 1-2 major versions behind the last OS version, So for an iPhone 6s, probably something like iOS 13 or iOS 14. However, like I said, iOS 15 ran really well on it.

BTW, iOS 10 doesn't even have a battery health indicator anyway, so I presume you're using a third party app to estimate battery health.

 

[FeliApple]

Our iPhone 6s with 70-something % battery ran iOS 15 great until we sold it. And that iPhone 6s was reasonably peppy on iOS 15 too, faster than the iPad Air 2.

Speed is one thing, battery life is another, especially on earlier 64-bit iPhones.

If you just like having old versions of iOS around that's great, but if you actually want to make full use of the devices, IMO it's usually not a very good idea to stick with such old versions of the OS due to lack of functionality and app compatibility. In my experience, the best balance between functionality/app support and speed/battery life is usually about 1-2 major versions behind the last OS version, So for an iPhone 6s, probably something like iOS 13 or iOS 14. However, like I said, iOS 15 ran really well on it.

It’s a sale: you sell battery life and performance to buy app compatibility and features. I’m willing to sell nothing. Others may differ on their tolerance, and that’s okay.

Occasionally, you have one major update after the original iOS version to maintain performance and battery life. Two is pushing it. I have another 6s on iOS 13 and it’s utterly abhorrent. It belongs inside a trash can, that’s how horrible it is for me. I don’t tolerate forced garbage. That’s why I don’t update. iOS 12, however, is probably the absolute limit of my tolerance: significantly worse battery life (about 30% worse than iOS 9), but it’s usable on my 9.7-inch iPad Pro. (Which was forced by Apple out of iOS 9 and into iOS 12, I didn’t update it on purpose).

iPhones have other requirements, so it may not be enough there, but iOS 12 is significantly better than iOS 13 through 15, which are malware and shouldn’t have been released for the 6s. iOS 12 might (keyword: might) be tolerably usable for me on the 6s, but I’m not sure. I’m worried about the fact that, perhaps, I won’t tolerate the battery life impact. But I’ve never tried one, so I’m not sure.

I’m sure iOS 10 is as good as iOS 9, and I’m sure that iOS 13 through 15 are garbage.

BTW, iOS 10 doesn't even have a battery health indicator anyway, so I presume you're using a third party app to estimate battery health.

Coconut on a Mac. (A 2015 MacBook Pro running... the original OS X El Capitan, of course).

 

[EugW]

Speed is one thing, battery life is another, especially on earlier 64-bit iPhones.

It’s a sale: you sell battery life and performance to buy app compatibility and features. I’m willing to sell nothing. Others may differ on their tolerance, and that’s okay.

Occasionally, you have one major update after the original iOS version to maintain performance and battery life. Two is pushing it. I have another 6s on iOS 13 and it’s utterly abhorrent. It belongs inside a trash can, that’s how horrible it is for me. I don’t tolerate forced garbage. That’s why I don’t update. iOS 12, however, is probably the absolute limit of my tolerance: significantly worse battery life (about 30% worse than iOS 9), but it’s usable on my 9.7-inch iPad Pro. (Which was forced by Apple out of iOS 9 and into iOS 12, I didn’t update it on purpose).

iPhones have other requirements, so it may not be enough there, but iOS 12 is significantly better than iOS 13 through 15, which are malware and shouldn’t have been released for the 6s. iOS 12 might (keyword: might) be tolerably usable for me on the 6s, but I’m not sure. I’m worried about the fact that, perhaps, I won’t tolerate the battery life impact. But I’ve never tried one, so I’m not sure.

I’m sure iOS 10 is as good as iOS 9, and I’m sure that iOS 13 through 15 are garbage.

Meh. It's clear now you represent that 0.1% of old school masochistic macOS and iOS users.

Coconut on a Mac. (A 2015 MacBook Pro running... the original OS X El Capitan, of course).

Well IMO, basically El Capitan is basically unusable in 2024 to get real work done, for most people (but not all people). Personally I think 10.13 High Sierra is the most basic anyone trying to use it as main machine should consider. However, we run Monterey on our 2015 MB Pro, and it runs it really, really well. It's fast, with very good battery life, and it has all the modern amenities that High Sierra doesn't have.

Anyhow, it's good to know where you're coming from. Your approach, while fine for you, wouldn't be suitable for the majority of the working population.

 

[FeliApple]

Meh. It's clear now you represent that 0.1% of old school masochistic macOS and iOS users.

Believe me, I’d love not to stay behind. Sadly, Apple will not let me.

Well IMO, basically El Capitan is basically unusable in 2024 to get real work done, for most people (but not all people). Personally I think 10.13 High Sierra is the most basic anyone trying to use it as main machine should consider. However, we run Monterey on our 2015 MB Pro, and it runs it really, really well. It's fast, with very good battery life, and it has all the modern amenities that High Sierra doesn't have.

Well, I may be overestimating the impact on Macs. Like I said, I don’t have enough experience with enough models, but I’m not willing to go through the trouble just to try.

Anyhow, it's good to know where you're coming from. Your approach, while fine for you, wouldn't be suitable for the majority of the working population.

Yeah, even on iOS this is true. And I also have issues that I have to circumvent. I know it’s not a perfect solution, and I know that it has issues. But it’s all I have.

Sadly, battery replacements don’t help iPads, as they don’t restore battery life to an acceptable level. It’s still poor. Better than when degraded, but poor.

By the time Apple allows a replacement, the device is too obliterated by a lot of iOS updates for the replacement to restore the device to something good.

 

[Etienooo]

Quick update for IPP 12’9 2018:
1st check with Apple on March 15th 2023: 1323 cycles & 83%
2nd check with Apple on September 25th 2023: 1518 cycles & 83%
3rd check with Apple on April 5th 2024: 1753 cycles & 84%

Guess I gained 1% over a year /s
It’s supposed to get the vintage status in March 2025 so unless it get a sudden and drastic decrease in battery performance (not necessarily actual, but with Apple’s diagnostic tool) it probably won’t ever be eligible for battery replacement despite averaging about 0.9 cycle per day.

I’m giving up on this & will consider buying one of the new models when they launch (If either Air or Pro 12’9 retains compatibility with the Magic Keyboard).

 

[FeliApple]

Quick update for IPP 12’9 2018:
1st check with Apple on March 15th 2023: 1323 cycles & 83%
2nd check with Apple on September 25th 2023: 1518 cycles & 83%
3rd check with Apple on April 5th 2024: 1753 cycles & 84%

Guess I gained 1% over a year /s
It’s supposed to get the vintage status in March 2025 so unless it get a sudden and drastic decrease in battery performance (not necessarily actual, but with Apple’s diagnostic tool) it probably won’t ever be eligible for battery replacement despite averaging about 0.9 cycle per day.

I’m giving up on this & will consider buying one of the new models when they launch (If either Air or Pro 12’9 retains compatibility with the Magic Keyboard).

You know, I don’t want to (further) burst your bubble, but my 9.7-inch iPad Pro was at a Coconut-measured 85% in September 2019. It stands at 84% today. With a far lower cycle count (stands at a little over 750 in a little over 7.5 years, or 100 cycles/year), but Apple measured 93% five months ago. It takes a huge while for it to be eligible, even if you’re a heavy user.

Is battery life that poor, anyway?

 

[Torty]

Does it make a difference if the device was bought from apple or somewhere else?

 

[Etienooo]

You know, I don’t want to (further) burst your bubble, but my 9.7-inch iPad Pro was at a Coconut-measured 85% in September 2019. It stands at 84% today. With a far lower cycle count (stands at a little over 750 in a little over 7.5 years, or 100 cycles/year), but Apple measured 93% five months ago. It takes a huge while for it to be eligible, even if you’re a heavy user.

Is battery life that poor, anyway?

I’m doing 2 cycles per day at the moment, any time I’m doing something a bit serious for more than 2h I have to plug it.

But I agree that it will never be eligible.

It’s not that big of a deal but that’s my main reason to upgrade.

I’m pretty sure Apple can get away with this only because very few people use their iPad enough to be interested in a battery replacement. This issue has very low attention and repair right laws are taking forever to catch up.