Thursday, July 05, 2007

Need...More...Power

If my cellular telephone's battery malfunctions, this is what I would do. Go down to my carrier's store (or an electronic superstore) and buy a replacement. Go home and pop the back off of my phone and replace the battery. Finally, I would probably have to charge the phone. Pretty much zero down-time and no hassles. But if your a proud owner of an Apple iPhone, then this is what you would do since the battery is soldered onto the electronics.

What is the iPhone Battery Replacement Program?
If your iPhone requires service only because the battery’s ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will repair your iPhone for a service fee of $79, plus $6.95 shipping. Be sure to follow these instructions for optimizing battery life and troubleshooting battery charging issues before submitting your iPhone for battery replacement.

How much does it cost to participate in the program?
The program costs $79, plus $6.95 shipping. The program cost is $85.95 per unit. All fees are in US dollars and are subject to local tax. Service may not be available if your iPhone has been damaged due to accident or abuse. Please review Apple’s Repair Terms and Conditions for further details.

How do I send in my iPhone for battery replacement
service?
Easy. Just complete our iPod service request form. Please review the service terms and conditions. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to participate in the program.

Will the data on my iPhone be preserved?
No, the repair process will clear all data from your iPhone. It is important to sync your iPhone with iTunes to back up your contacts, photos, email account settings, text messages, and more. Apple is not responsible for the loss of information while servicing your iPhone and does not offer any data transfer service. Please do not send any accessories with your iPhone.

How long will service take?
The repair process normally takes three business days. See the iPhone Service FAQ for information about getting an AppleCare Service Phone for you to use with all of your data while your iPhone is being repaired.



Hah! And people thought I was crazy for not wanting one. Seems to me like Apple pulled a fast one.

2 comments:

Hank said...

It's the same thing with an iPod; you can't replace the battery, you have to send it in (for $59), and they "erase" all your songs. In reality, they don't erase anything: they give you a different iPod all together (they admit this, that you get a "refurbished iPod). That's worse than erasing all the data. I bet the same thing applies with the iPhone... you get back a different iPhone altogether.

Yeah, it's a racket for both. Why no swapable batteries?

Tom said...

See, that's why I don't own an iPod either. It's too bad my Newton won't play MP3s. Oh,wait...Doh!