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Starting March 1, Apple will charge an additional $20 for battery replacements on older products. If you’re planning on replacing the battery on that old iPhone in your pocket, you better do it soon.
The policy change was first discovered by a user on the apple subreddit (opens in new tab) who noted that the battery replacement was out of warranty iPhone 13 and older models now cost $89. This prompted other users to check out Apple’s other repair services, and sure enough, other devices will get their own price hike on the same day.
Getting a new battery for a MacBook Air now costs $159 – a $30 bump. For both Macbook and MacBook Pro laptopsthe replacement fee will be an additional $50, making the new one cost $249.
Of iPads (opens in new tab)the following models will also see a $20 surcharge, bringing the total price from $99 to $119: iPad Pro 12.9 (fifth generation and older), Pro 11 (third generation and older), Pro 10.5, Pro 9.7, iPad mini (sixth generation and older), and the iPad Air (fifth generation and older).
Prices remain the same if your iPhone is part of the AppleCare Plus program. If you’re in the program and your phone’s battery is “less than 80 percent of its original capacity,” you can also replace that battery for free, according to the company.
Global rollout
The policy change will be global, although prices differ depending on the region (opens in new tab). Canada, for example, is seeing the iPhone battery replacement fee increase from $89 to $119 CAD (about $65 to $87 USD). Countries in the European Union are seeing a €24 jump from €75 to €99 (about $75 to $104 USD). UK customers will have to pay one of the highest iPhone costs: £99, which is almost $120 USD at the time of writing.
Looking at global price changes for iPads (opens in new tab) and MacBooks (opens in new tab), they follow a similar pattern. Fees are rising everywhere, with the UK seeing the biggest increase for all the aforementioned models.
It is not known what prompted Apple to suddenly raise prices without warning. Scroll through that aforementioned Reddit post and you’ll see a lot of people reacting very negatively. One user calls the walk a “rip off”, while another finds it “ridiculous”.
The price increase could also be the start of a new business trend related to appliance repairs. We’ve reached out to Apple for the reason behind the price hike and whether the Self Service Repair program will see anything similar. Since its launch in April 2022, Apple has largely left the program alone. Self Service Repair has added just one new device to its catalog: the iPhone SE 3. This story will be updated if we hear anything.
If you’re considering buying a new phone, check out TechRadar’s roundup of the cheapest iPhone deals for January 2023.