Last year, Apple confirmed that it intentionally slowed down iPhones over time to prevent the smartphone’s batteries from degrading faster, following the findings of a Geekbench report. The company drew a considerable amount of flak due over the fiasco and was slapped with multiple class-action lawsuits. To appease angry customers, Apple eventually apologized and lowered the cost of replacing batteries on most of its newer smartphones (ranging from iPhone SE to iPhone X) to $29, down from the original $79.
That said, if you happen to have an older-generation iPhone and you need to get its battery replaced, we suggest you act fast, as Apple’s discounted battery-replacement program will end on December 31, 2018. After that, getting a worn-out battery replaced on previous-generation iPhones will set you back by $79 again. However, in case of iPhone X, you’ll need to pay $69 for a new battery.
It’s worth mentioning that the discounted battery-replacement program isn’t applicable to Apple’s newest iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR since those devices are obviously still under warranty.
Watch: Apple iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max Hands On
After the processor-throttling debacle of last year, Apple had introduced a new ‘Battery Health’ feature in iOS 11.3. Available under the Battery section of iOS’ settings, it allows users to check the maximum operating capacity (measured in terms of percent) of their iPhones. It’s also possible to disable automatic performance throttling under this section. In fact, by default, the feature is disabled on all devices. Only when the device experiences an unexpected shutdown, is when the feature is automatically re-enabled.
