After Apple reduced its iPhone battery-swap price to just $29 as part of an apology for its handling of the performance-throttling controversy, iFixit has done the same for its DIY kits for older devices …
Apple’s offer applies only to the iPhone 6 and up, which are the devices the company said were affected by performance-throttling on ageing batteries. So anyone with an older iPhone hoping to take advantage of the furore to grab a deal on a new battery will be out of luck.
But if you’re willing to do the swap yourself, iFixit says that it will match or beat Apple’s price.
$29 sounds like a pretty good price. Effective immediately, we’re cutting the prices on all of our DIY battery install kits to $29 or less as well. The kits include all the tools you need to open up and swap your own battery. We also have options for the iPhone 4S, 5, 5s and 5c — which are excluded from Apple’s new program.
Of course, it’s not a like-for-like comparison, as Apple does the work for you, but the company says that some iPhone owners actively prefer the DIY route.
When we ask our customers why they do the repair themselves rather than take it to Apple, they give us a few reasons:
- Convenience. No need to drive anywhere or wait in line; replace your battery from your kitchen.
- Availability. Many people don’t live near an Apple Store, and don’t have another option for same-day repair.
- Privacy. Some people aren’t comfortable giving their device to someone else.
- Fun. It’s interesting to open up your stuff, find out how it works, and make it function better.
iFixit also puts in a plug for ‘right to repair’ legislation which would force Apple to make both parts and instructions available for those who want to repair their own devices. Apple has so far successfully fought the issue, in part by citing safety concerns around lithium-ion batteries as one prong of its lobbying efforts.
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