Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro brings a nasty surprise, but the iPhone 16 is safe for now
Pre-orders have already been placed for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, and customers will no doubt be wondering how they will care for their new iPhones when the first units start arriving on September 20.
Apple offers a range of first-party support, including some paid services and repairs. However, a new price increase means iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max users may need to be extra careful with their phone’s battery.
Apple has increased the price of battery replacements on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max by 20% compared to the previous generation. This means you’ll now pay $199 instead of $99 in the UK for a new battery.
We are also seeing this increase in the UK, where the price has risen from £95 to £109, and in Australia, where the price has risen from AU$169 to AU$199.
The base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models retain the previous battery replacement price of $99 / £95 / AU$169, just like the entire iPhone 15 family.
While Apple touts green credentials, raising the price of battery replacements for its new Pro iPhones stings. You could argue that Apple should lower prices to encourage people to keep their iPhones longer and be kinder to the environment.
But it can get worse, because The Edge notes, lightning can follow thunder when it comes to Apple’s other battery replacement services. When Apple raised the price of its iPhone 14 battery swaps, we saw the same thing happen to various iPhone, iPad, and Mac products in the months that followed.
For now, this only concerns the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Don’t be shocked by battery degradation
Some parts of an iPhone deteriorate over time with normal use. This is especially true for the battery.
Lithium-ion batteries, the kind used in iPhones and most other smartphones, lose a small portion of their maximum capacity with each cycle, an effect that can be accelerated by higher temperatures or power-intensive usage. You can keep track of your iPhone’s battery health — displayed as a percentage of its original capacity — in the Settings app, under the Battery section.
Defective batteries are covered under Apple’s one-year limited warranty, but beyond that, customers have a handful of options. Apple offers its battery repair service for iPhones for an upfront fee or as part of its AppleCare+ insurance product, which includes battery replacements at no additional charge if the battery health drops below 80%.
Third-party repair shops may also be able to replace an iPhone battery, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll use genuine Apple parts. Replacing an iPhone battery can extend the usable life of your device and help reduce your carbon footprint and e-waste.
Hopefully new iPhone owners won’t have to worry about replacing their batteries just yet, as Apple claims the iPhone 16 Pro can last 27 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max can last a whopping 33 hours.