After some Apple users with an iPhone 6 or later reported being refused a $29 battery replacement at Apple Stores, Apple has issued new guidance to its retail locations instructing employees to honor all replacement requests, iGeneration reports. Following outrage over Apple’s admission that the company had been slowing down older iPhones to conserve battery power without informing users, the company agreed to replace the batteries in iPhone 6, 6s, SE or 7 devices for $29 — a substantial discount over the usual price for out-of-warranty battery replacements.
But Apple Store employees in some locations had been using the in-house battery diagnostic tool on the devices and refusing replacements if the battery hadn’t dropped below 80 percent of its original capacity.
Apple’s new guidance to stores instructs employees to honor a request for a $29 battery replacement for all impacted models with no battery diagnostic testing. Those looking for a free replacement through AppleCare will still have to undergo a diagnostic, though, and Apple could still refuse to replace the battery if employees discover other damage to the device or third-party repairs that could make it hazardous.
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