iStore, an Apple authorised service provider in South Africa, has announced it will offer battery replacements for certain models of iPhone at a cost of R429.78/device. The announcement comes after Apple announced a similar programme in the US, costing US$29 per battery replaced.
The US consumer electronics giant came under fire in December for software changes that reduced the performance of older iPhones to prevent unexpected shutdowns, Bloomberg reported. The company apologised for the decision, saying it hadn’t intentionally set out to shortern the life of the products.
In response to complaints from customers, Apple — which has been sued over the software changes — said it would cut the price of replacement batteries for iPhones no longer covered by warranty.
“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,” Apple said in a statement on 29 December. “We’ve always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible.”
It said anyone with an iPhone 6 or later would be able to replace the battery for $29, a reduction from the previous $79 price.
iStore said on Wednesday that its out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement cost would now be R429.78, effective immediately.
“Owners of iPhone SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7 and 7 Plus who suspect that their battery might need to be replaced should visit the iStore website to make a technical appointment from 11 January 2018,” it said in a statement. The customer’s iPhone will be assessed in store, and if eligible under this programme, will be sent for battery replacement. Online booking is essential.”
It said a technical appointment fee of R200, usually applicable to non-iStore customers, will be waived for the battery replacement programme. This is “for a limited time only and provided that an appointment has been booked online”. — (c) 2018 NewsCentral Media