Improving iPhone Battery Replacement Times Could Affect Upgrades

When Apple announced that they would be offering $29 battery replacements for iPhones affected by the iOS update that throttled their phones, obviously there would be some consequences to their decision. At $29, this makes it considerably cheaper than upgrading to the newer iPhones, meaning that it makes sense for customers to opt for that.

This also led to a rush of customers looking to replace their iPhone batteries, although for some, namely iPhone 6 Plus owners, this resulted in a delay due to overwhelming demand. However it seems that this delay could be good news for Apple because according to Barclays’ Mark Moskowitz, improved battery replacement times could actually affect iPhone upgrades.

This makes sense because if customers had to wait weeks or months for replacement batteries, some might simply opt to upgrade instead, especially if they’re coming from older models like the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus which are about three years old by now. Of course there are some negative side-effects to delayed replacements as customers might end up being disgruntled, lose faith in the company, and jump ship to another brand or platform.

During Apple’s recent financials, CEO Tim Cook stated that they did not consider how battery replacements would affect upgrades, and that they simply wanted to do the right thing. It was also revealed that Apple is also considering potential rebates for customers who paid full price prior to the replacement program being announced.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: iPhone