Apple Will Replace Some Bad iPhone 5 Batteries
By Nick Tylwalk
And the company is doing it for free. It all stems from what appears to be a bad batch of iPhone 5 batteries that affects people who bought their devices between September 2012 and January 2013. Apple does say that the problems, namely shorter battery life and phones that need to be recharged more frequently than expected, are only in a very small percentage of iPhone 5s across “a limited serial number range.”
The serial number on an iPhone 5 can be found by tapping Settings > General > About, where it will be in the third field from the top on the resulting screen. Once you find that, you can determine if your battery is eligible for replacement by entering the serial number on a special page Apple has set up.
If your battery does need to be replaced, you have three options:
- Make the swap at an Apple Authorized Service provider near you.
- Visit an Apple Retail Store near you.
- Contact Apple Technical Support for more assistance.
U.S. and Chinese iPhone 5 owners can take advantage of the free replacement procedures now, while users in other countries can get replacements if necessary beginning on Friday, August 29.