Apple caused a furore with customers after it was discovered that the Cupertino company may have been deliberately slowing down old iPhones.
In case you haven’t been following the fracas, here’s a quick recap.
Last year, Apple landed itself in hot soup after it admitted it deliberately reduced processor speeds on iPhones with old batteries, through a software update.
The move, Apple said, was to preserve battery life and reduce unexpected shutdowns. It lamented, “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.”
The battery, one of the most crucial components in the phone, is bound to age and degrade over time. Batteries become less effective as it ages, with the ability to hold a charge much reduced.
This evidently affected some iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phones. Apple then released iOS 10.2.1 to mitigate the issue, which included power management improvements to avoid unexpected shut downs.
To its credit, Apple moved quickly to address customers’ concerns. It announced a special battery replacement program for all iPhone 6 and later models.
Out-of-warranty iPhones can get a battery replacement for USD29/MYR129, grossly reduced from the origin USD79/MYR369 rate.
The program will run through December 2018.
In Malaysia, Apple Premium Reseller Machines was the first to announce the battery replacement program. It previously listed MYR399 for an out-of-warranty battery replacement inclusive of labour charge and GST.
A battery replacement would take a standard 5-7 working days.
But this just in. Machines says it’s speeding up the battery replacement process, now offering a turnaround time of just four hours.
All you need to do is send in your device before 3PM (subject to availability).
Devices like the iPhone 6 Plus may take longer as it is no longer in production, with parts expected to come in around March and April.
For the iPhone 6 and 6s Plus it may take up to two weeks, but otherwise all other models should be completed without delay.
All parts are covered by a 90-day Apple Limited Warranty against any defects.
The express battery replacement service is available at Machines Service Centres at Suria KLCC, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara and North point Mid Valley.
To learn how you can get your battery replaced, read my previous post.
Source: Machines
Image credit: iFixit
