iPhone Battery Slow Down: Apple Looking Into Offering Rebates

After backlash over how Apple handled batteries on older iPhones, the company revealed in a letter to Sen. John Thune (R-SD) uploaded by The Verge, that the company could offer customers rebates.

The letter, which is a response to questions Thune sent Apple, comes after the company said it intentionally slows down batteries on older iPhone models to avoid unexpected crashes on the device. Apple said it slowed down the smartphones because lithium-ion batteries lose capacity over time. While Apple claims the move is for the best, customers did not receive the revelation well. To deal with backlash, Apple lowered its battery replacement out-of-warranty fee from $79 to $29 in late December.

While the price was cut by $50, the letter shows Apple is looking for other alternatives for customers. The letter answers Thune's question about whether customers who paid the $79 price will be able to get a rebate after missing the discounted price window. The company told Thunes it was “exploring this and will update you accordingly.”

The $29 out-of-warranty fee for battery replacements is currently available to people who have an iPhone 6 or later worldwide until the end of this year. While customers have a chance of getting a new battery for $29, others may have already missed out on the recent discounted price. Customers who are under an AppleCare plan or warranty won’t have to worry about paying the fee.

Besides the possible rebate program, Apple confirmed that the upcoming iOS 11.3 update will include a battery health indicator for users. iOS 11.3 is currently in beta and should be released this spring. The beta version already shows the features.

The company gave more insight on the new battery options in the letter.

“iOS 11.3 will add new features to give customers greater visibility into the health of their iPhone’s battery,” Apple said. “The new software update will recommend if a battery needs to be serviced. It also will allow customers to see whether the power management feature that dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns is on, and they can choose to turn it off.”

As for newer models Apple revealed in the letter how the 2017 iPhones deal with the battery issues.

“iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models include hardware updates that allow a more advanced performance management system that more precisely allows iOS to anticipate and avoid an unexpected shutdown,” Apple wrote.

Apple had previously apologized about slowing down iPhones in a letter to customers.

“We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize,” Apple said in the letter. "First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”