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iPhone 13 mini How to verify Apple REALLY gave me a new battery?

M

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Original poster
Aug 27, 2012
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Want to replace my iPhone 13 battery, is usd$89, no prob.

The issue I have is, as the guy handing me back the phone, HOW DO I VERIFY, on the spot, that they indeed put a new battery in it? the number I would rely on is CYCLE COUNT, but only the iPhone 15 and newer display this number. I see no serious App I can download for this. Ideally it would be something I can download from the STORE but I find nothing. Last resort is, I bring my laptop and run COCONUT BATTERY on it, would the Genius balk at my verification method?

What did, will you do? Is USD90, I don't want a Genius take my money by doing nothing.
 
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I know there are some repair shops that refurbish batteries by replacing the BMS (battery management system) chip. But the problem is, most people rely on the BMS to check if the battery is fresh new, unless they use a multimeter to measure the battery’s internal resistance or something similar.

Authorised suppliers and warranties are trustworthy.
 
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As others have said, if you're talking about an actual Apple Store performing the service, it's not some random back alley kiosk. Their reputation and maintaining consumer trust is worth way more to them than scamming people on battery replacements. They have more to lose than to gain by risking something that petty.
 
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Dutch Apple store had replaced battery in my gf’s iPhone 11. It was 100€ or something. First sign that battery was not good was that the iPhone had only slightly more juice than before. In the end, battery pillowed at the most inconvenient time possible – during vacation in other country. We replaced battery there in some 3rd party service and battery still works.

So yeah, I understand your skepticism, it isn’t unfounded given that Apple has some weird issues in supply chain if their batteries now pillow in half a year as those cheap Temu units.

In fact, Apple’s official service is not a guarantee you will get a good battery.

When you replace you should keep your new battery guarantee and monitor all the variables: compare how much hours phone holds on new battery, monitor the heat, see for other strange signs like random shutdowns. If you notice, get it back to Apple geniuses and demand for a free replacement of this battery again, better not to wait for it to pillow, people say it can be sorta dangerous…

UPD: typos, lots of them. Some glitch happened that I couldn’t edit comment so it took a bit longer🙂
 
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You check with coconut battery. It will confirm a new battery manufacture date with very few cycles on it.

uacd said:
In fact, Apple’s official service is not a guarantee you will get a good battery.
Click to expand...
This is correct as nobody can 100% predict the chemical reactions in the battery and occasionally you'll have a battery with such a hidden manufacturing defect make it into a customer's device. The battery is covered by the device's warranty if any or for 90 days after the replacement if the device warranty had previously expired. Alternatively it's covered by Applecare plus.

This results in your unfortunate situation that many years down the line a defective battery isn't covered when it fails 6 months later. Manufacturers and especially those of premium devices like iPhones should be forced by law to guarantee at least a typical lifespan of 2 years or perhaps 3. That at least would be a typical lifespan of a smartphone battery until it might be shot with 1000 charge cycles and more.

Unfortunately lawmakers aren't willing to hold manufacturers accountable like that and Apple isn't in the business of handing out free replacements outside of warranty.
 
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Mrbobb said:
Want to replace my iPhone 13 battery, is usd$89, no prob.

The issue I have is, as the guy handing me back the phone, HOW DO I VERIFY, on the spot, that they indeed put a new battery in it? the number I would rely on is CYCLE COUNT, but only the iPhone 15 and newer display this number. I see no serious App I can download for this. Ideally it would be something I can download from the STORE but I find nothing. Last resort is, I bring my laptop and run COCONUT BATTERY on it, would the Genius balk at my verification method?

What did, will you do? Is USD90, I don't want a Genius take my money by doing nothing.
Click to expand...
people wrote short cuts to read out the battery cycles and more from the system since… iOS 17 or iPadOS. E.g. I use this one from routine hub on iPadOS 18 and have modified it slightly for the 26b3:

IMG_9207.jpeg
because Apple changed where and how battery cycles and health are stored in the log, you need the version of one of these shortcuts which matches the iOS/iPadOS version your device runs.

Other than that - and as other said - if it is a genuine Apple Service/Genius bar appointment, they will change it and not just let it idle for 20” 😂😆


The scenario described @uacd might have some anectdotical evidence - but that there is no broader evidence for »given that Apple has some weird issues in supply chain if their batteries now pillow in half a year as if those were cheap Temu units«… it is almost a classical non-sequitur 🤓
 
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Mrbobb said:
Want to replace my iPhone 13 battery, is usd$89, no prob.

The issue I have is, as the guy handing me back the phone, HOW DO I VERIFY, on the spot, that they indeed put a new battery in it? the number I would rely on is CYCLE COUNT, but only the iPhone 15 and newer display this number. I see no serious App I can download for this. Ideally it would be something I can download from the STORE but I find nothing. Last resort is, I bring my laptop and run COCONUT BATTERY on it, would the Genius balk at my verification method?

What did, will you do? Is USD90, I don't want a Genius take my money by doing nothing.
Click to expand...

What I would do,as I'm sure everyone else would do, is......

Hand over phone and have them replace the battery, get phone back and leave the store happy in the knowledge my battery has been changed.

If you can't do that you can that you can either ask to be present when they change the battery(not going to be allowed), learn how to change the battery yourself, buy a newly boxed phone or stick with the battery you have. Your call.
 
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About iPhone Parts and Service History - Apple Support

If your iPhone has been repaired, you can check Parts and Service History to find out if it was done using genuine Apple parts.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

The Parts and Service history won’t provide battery info/stats but there’s going to be no way of knowing the ultimate (e.g., long term) battery quality in a single test/check anyway. Beyond being a mass produced product (i.e., variance of component/element and assembly quality), the chemical nature of battery cells causes them to be… Uh… I’ll say, very dynamic. ...And, of course, usage.
 
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AlixSPQR said:
Doesn't iOS report batteries as third party if they are non-OEM?
Click to expand...
[edited for future vs past tense]

The way I'm reading it, the OP's concerns are: Will Apple actually replace the battery or do nothing for the $90. Or, perhaps they believe the battery will be changed, but they're wondering if Apple will install a new condition battery.
 
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Mrbobb said:
Want to replace my iPhone 13 battery, is usd$89, no prob.

The issue I have is, as the guy handing me back the phone, HOW DO I VERIFY, on the spot, that they indeed put a new battery in it? the number I would rely on is CYCLE COUNT, but only the iPhone 15 and newer display this number. I see no serious App I can download for this. Ideally it would be something I can download from the STORE but I find nothing. Last resort is, I bring my laptop and run COCONUT BATTERY on it, would the Genius balk at my verification method?

What did, will you do? Is USD90, I don't want a Genius take my money by doing nothing.
Click to expand...
What reason(s) do you have to believe they'd be lying to you about doing such?
And if they were to give you a refurb instead of replacing the battery in your actual phone, what would the issue be with that (assuming it functions as advertised)?
 
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Download the app called Apple Support.

It a diagnostic app that tells you what’s working and what’s not working. Performance, battery, antenna, etc.

It should tell you the condition your battery percentage is bad, good, or great.

You don’t need to charge your phone fully for it to understand if your battery old or new.

You can run diagnostic performance whenever you want, and it will tell you the results.
 
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