iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 mini battery replacement

[Zapdoc]

Battery health now at 77% on iP 13 mini - has had AppleCare form new

Are Apple Genius Bar likely to replace free of any charges the battery under AppleCare and more I'm portably can it be done same day as I live 2 hrs away form store and need my phone access for calls txts etc

 

[DaveS86]

If it’s got AC then they will do it gratis. They can normally do it same day unless they break something during the process.

 

[1rottenapple]

No Apple care and they replaced mine in an hour or so. Wasn’t worth it though lol.

 

[skrungemaster]

No Apple care and they replaced mine in an hour or so. Wasn’t worth it though lol.

Why not?

 

[1rottenapple]

Why not?

It was still crap. Useless to trust as your device when traveling overseas. Battery still drops quickly. I changed that battery through Apple before my trip to Taiwan and after a few days I knew I couldn’t trust it for travel so I got an air. It was a good phone for 4 years but the battery changed didn’t do much for me.

 

[Macdctr]

It was still crap. Useless to trust as your device when traveling overseas. Battery still drops quickly. I changed that battery through Apple before my trip to Taiwan and after a few days I knew I couldn’t trust it for travel so I got an air. It was a good phone for 4 years but the battery changed didn’t do much for me.

This is why I researched and learned how to do the battery replacement service myself using the same Apple certified tools the people at the Genius Bar are using. I then found a good high capacity diagnostic compatible battery, a SUNWODA brand, with 2633mAh giving my 13 mini 110% battery health and lasting me the entire day on one charge. At least doing this service myself, I know what is going into my device and I have longer battery life in the process.

 

[1rottenapple]

This is why I researched and learned how to do the battery replacement service myself using the same Apple certified tools the people at the Genius Bar are using. I then found a good high capacity diagnostic compatible battery, a SUNWODA brand, with 2633mAh giving my 13 mini 110% battery health and lasting me the entire day on one charge. At least doing this service myself, I know what is going into my device and I have longer battery life in the process.

ok, I'm all for DIY as I do anything on my cars DIY but those batteries are fake as hell and there's nothing top stop those small chinese sellers from stating over inflated battery capacity claims.

 

[Macdctr]

ok, I'm all for DIY as I do anything on my cars DIY but those batteries are fake as hell and there's nothing top stop those small chinese sellers from stating over inflated battery capacity claims.

I have a 13 mini I recently had Apple replace the battery in it and another where I installed that high capacity diagnostic compatible battery in. I’m comparing both over long term to see how well the aftermarket SUNWODA battery will perform over time by collecting actual data between both devices. Only time will tell but for now the 13 mini with the aftermarket battery has been performing very well.

I’m posting this based on what I am seeing over time. I do agree some are simply over rated crap made in China being sold. There’s no way you can have a 15,000 mAh battery, or 22,800 mAh battery in this example below, inside a 13 mini.

Here is an example of one of those fake batteries being sold for the 13 mini I found for sale on Amazon.

 

[Macdctr]

The battery I had Apple perform my battery replacement service on last December, my Pink 512GB 13 mini, is a SUNWODA 2443 mAh battery. A genuine Apple replacement battery which provided my 13 mini with 102% battery health over the 2392 mAh design capacity for this device.

The battery I purchased is a more realistic 2654 mAh SUNWODA battery. Same battery manufacturer as the genuine Apple battery providing 110% battery health which, to me, is more believable than that 22,800 mAh battery example I posted above. Also since I am doing my battery service, I know the work being done to my device and how that work is being performed every step of this process including the parts used.

By having Apple perform this service, I don’t know how this work is being done, what is being introduced into my device . . . finger prints or unwanted dust particles and quality of work. In this case I have to ”trust” the tech, who I don’t know, to do the quality work.

I choose to DIY in this case which is why I learned how to do this work and got the necessary tools ensuring the work I do is equally at Apple’s standards of work.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

An active AC+ means you won’t pay for the battery and I would suggest you make an actual appointment for it, perhaps calling the store before setting off to ensure they have the battery in stock.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

It was still crap. Useless to trust as your device when traveling overseas. Battery still drops quickly. I changed that battery through Apple before my trip to Taiwan and after a few days I knew I couldn’t trust it for travel so I got an air. It was a good phone for 4 years but the battery changed didn’t do much for me.

I fear the same for mine that might need a new battery real soon, and at € 99 nowadays, this ain’t cheap.

I recall getting a new battery from Apple for my OG SE and it became less than usable after much less time than the originally fitted one. I attribute this to the processor just overly taxed with too many iterations of iOS versions.

The 13 Mini was released with iOS 15 and after I returned a problematic unit, repurchased a month later, it was forced to iOS 16. I really should have stayed on iOS 17 but no…curiosity got the better of me and I’m still on iOS 18.

Now if I update to iOS 26 and have a new battery installed, I’ve a gut feeling that the same will occur as my SE experience prior. Much of that is perhaps also a factor that the 13 Mini only has 4GB RAM available to run the latest iOS. It will do it but the new battery might not last that long.

These are just my concerns based on experience with my previous IPhone and its battery decline.

 

[Macdctr]

iOS26 was terrible on my 13 mini and my device had noticeable lagging. When iOS27 Developer Beta 1 was available this week I updated to the new iOS and my 13 mini showed big improvements in performance since the update. My 13 mini is much more responsive under iOS27.

Just my personal observations between the two operating systems. Still evaluating battery performance.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

@Macdctr Yeah well, many personal experiences/ observations show patterns, so appreciate your feedback.

It would appear that Apple is taking a break from not optimising things with iOS 27…finally. It’s why I also wasn’t jumping in the air to install macOS 26 but macOS 27 (touted as a new Snow Leopard) also looks promising.

 

[1rottenapple]

iOS26 was terrible on my 13 mini and my device had noticeable lagging. When iOS27 Developer Beta 1 was available this week I updated to the new iOS and my 13 mini showed big improvements in performance since the update. My 13 mini is much more responsive under iOS27.

Just my personal observations between the two operating systems. Still evaluating battery performance.

I agree OS26 ruined it, it killed the battery. Performance wise it was fast I don't notice a difference but battery was just terrible.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I guess I’m left with two sensible options here:

1. Upgrade to iOS 26 and get the battery replaced. Then in 3 months update to iOS 27. Risk of battery degradation in that time.

2. Stay on iOS 18, wait 3 months for iOS 27 and then replace the battery.

Thoughts? I’m veering toward option 2 as I charge to-from work with tethered CarPlay and can also top up at work.

 

[Macdctr]

Right now based on my experiences using iOS26 on my 13 mini, I would recommend going with option 2. I did not like how iOS26 was causing lagging performance and I was charging my battery more often. I’m on iOS27 Developer Beta 1 on my 13 mini and my device feels like a brand new 13 mini again.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Right now based on my experiences using iOS26 on my 13 mini, I would recommend going with option 2. I did not like how iOS26 was causing lagging performance and I was charging my battery more often. I’m on iOS27 Developer Beta 1 on my 13 mini and my device feels like a brand new 13 mini again.

Yes option 2. makes so much more sense.

I’d be real interesting to hear about your experience also with subsequent betas, if things remain stable, improvements etc. If you have the time off course but I’m sure many 13 Mini owners would follow this.