All iPads Apple Store doesn’t replace iPad batteries?

[filmbuff]

I went with my Dad to an Apple store today because he needed the battery replaced on his 9.7” iPad Pro. The guy at the store said that because the iPad doesn’t have screws they don’t replace the batteries. I asked about the $99 battery replacement and then he said that they could do that only if the battery tests bad. So he did a diagnostic which of course said the battery was fine. He told us the only option was to replace the iPad. My Dad was thinking of upgrading anyway so he traded it in on a new iPad Air. But it didn’t sit right with me and I was just looking online and didn’t see anything like that. Is that really their policy or did he basically get scammed into upgrading?

 

[BigMcGuire]

I went with my Dad to an Apple store today because he needed the battery replaced on his 9.7” iPad Pro. The guy at the store said that because the iPad doesn’t have screws they don’t replace the batteries. I asked about the $99 battery replacement and then he said that they could do that only if the battery tests bad. So he did a diagnostic which of course said the battery was fine. He told us the only option was to replace the iPad. My Dad was thinking of upgrading anyway so he traded it in on a new iPad Air. But it didn’t sit right with me and I was just looking online and didn’t see anything like that. Is that really their policy or did he basically get scammed into upgrading?

From what I've read and seen - yeah they just replace the iPad if the battery is <80% health left. Hopefully he's happier now with a new air! Those M1 Airs are amazing iPads.

 

[Digitalguy]

Yeah, 80% (which corresponds to less with third party software) is their policy. Trade in values are almost a scam (but maybe somewhat different from country to country). I was quoted $135 for a 9.7 pro in 2019, when it was only 3 years old, now it must be under $100 for most models...

 

[Mlrollin91]

Usually if you are willing to pay for the battery replacement, it does not need to be at the 80% mark.

"Our warranty doesn’t cover batteries that wear down from normal use. If your battery wears down, we offer out-of-warranty battery service for a fee. If you have AppleCare+, it covers your iPad or Apple Pencil for no additional charge if your product's battery holds less than 80 percent of its original capacity."

iPad Repair and Service - Apple Support

Need to repair your iPad? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.

support.apple.com

It is true that they don't replace the battery, but instead swap the unit.

 

[tastesliketailpipe]

They swap the unit but battery needs to be below 80% of its original capacity.

 

[jumpingjackflash]

They swap the unit but battery needs to be below 80% of its original capacity.

And I believe the whole iPad needs to be in perfect condition otherwise too. So if your iPad gets scrathed, you can´t swap it.

 

[Phil77354]

My experience with an older iPhone was that Apple did replace the battery even though it was not quite at 80%. I was preparing the phone for handing down to another family member once I purchased a new phone and they had no problem with that. But the iPhone battery replacement could be done at the Apple Store and as others have explained here, iPad batteries are not replaced in store.

The other choice though is to take your iPad to a local electronics shop that does repairs and battery replacements and they will surely be able to do it for you. Of course it is too late now, but I've done that also with an older iPad and the work was just fine.

 

[JPack]

iPad battery is different as it's glued down. Repair shops can replace the battery, but the Apple Store won't do it.

With A9X and 2GB, it's very slow. But as usual, you get the least amount of money trading it in.

 

[schertlerbombe]

I recently had a similar situation: Went to the Apple Store to get my iPad Pro 10.5's battery replaced. In-Store diagnose said that the battery health is still at 90% so they cannot offer me the "battery price". (it is 5 years old and frequently shuts down only to show 15-25% battery when I turn it back on. Also, 2 different third party battery diagnose applications report a health of 70-75%).
Seems like they report a wrong battery health because a battery change requires a device replacement.
The genius added that according to the amount of charge cycles, the 90% were about right and he recommends I frequently use it 100% down to 0% to get below 80%.

 

[TheRealAlex]

My old 9.7” tested bad and they got me a Refurbished one on the spot. It was good as new.

 

[spiderman0616]

Been like that since the beginning. Someone pointed out shortly after the original iPad launched that battery replacements could be dicey, and Apple responded that it would just be a replacement of the whole unit for the fee of a battery replacement.

 

[sunking101]

My old 9.7” tested bad and they got me a Refurbished one on the spot. It was good as new.

You never know if the intermittent fault or whatever it was previously returned for was ever fixed. These refurbished iPads often don't have a new battery! Only glaring, obvious faults are fixed.

 

[BigMcGuire]

You never know if the intermittent fault or whatever it was previously returned for was ever fixed. These refurbished iPads often don't have a new battery! Only glaring, obvious faults are fixed.

They don't? The handful of refurbished devices I got from Apple all had brand new batteries (iPhones/iPads/MacBooks). I was under the impression that everything but the motherboard was replaced on refurbished Apple devices.

 

[sunking101]

They don't? The handful of refurbished devices I got from Apple all had brand new batteries (iPhones/iPads/MacBooks). I was under the impression that everything but the motherboard was replaced on refurbished Apple devices.

Perhaps I have the wrong info but a pc and phone repair guy told me this.

 

[EugW]

Usually if you are willing to pay for the battery replacement, it does not need to be at the 80% mark.

"Our warranty doesn’t cover batteries that wear down from normal use. If your battery wears down, we offer out-of-warranty battery service for a fee. If you have AppleCare+, it covers your iPad or Apple Pencil for no additional charge if your product's battery holds less than 80 percent of its original capacity."

iPad Repair and Service - Apple Support

Need to repair your iPad? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.

support.apple.com

It is true that they don't replace the battery, but instead swap the unit.

The policy is not to do the battery/iPad replacement at their cheap battery replacement rate until it hits 80% or lower. From my understanding it's partially up to their discretion but yes, that 80% is an important threshold.

You never know if the intermittent fault or whatever it was previously returned for was ever fixed. These refurbished iPads often don't have a new battery! Only glaring, obvious faults are fixed.

While YMMV, every single refurb from Apple I've ever gotten has looked absolutely brand new, including the battery. Note also that even the serial numbers are no longer the same. Refurb products have different serial numbers.

It sounds like your PC/phone repair guy is giving you wrong information, unless you're talking about 3rd party refurbishers.

 

[schertlerbombe]

My old 9.7” tested bad and they got me a Refurbished one on the spot. It was good as new.

Did you by any chance check the battery health before you went to the Store? Would be nice to compare in-Store and third party diagnose. In my case, the difference is ±15% (Coconut battery ±75% vs Apple Store diagnose 90%).

(Coconut battery readout is ±1-2% accurate for my MacBook and iPhone compared to the on device battery health report)