APPLE is hiking the cost to replace the batteries in older iPhone models from the beginning of March.
The sneaky price rise of by $20/ £20 will hit millions of customers in the UK and the US.
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The move will see the cost of bolstering iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, and iPhone X batteries jump from $69 (£58) to $89 (£75) in a matter of weeks.
Those with models from the iPhone 14 line-up will be unaffected, as Apple already charges its latest customers $99 (£83) for battery replacements on its newest products.
Users in the US whose iPhones have a weak battery have been widely encouraged to get their replacements booked in before the March 1 deadline.
Apple had cut the cost of replacing its batteries to $29 (£24) a couple of years ago.
The price cut was reportedly an attempt to remedy the controversy over Apple intentionally slowing down older iPhone models.
The tech giant was fined £21million in February 2020 for slowing down its old iPhones without any warning.
Apple previously said in 2017 that the trick was used to “prolong the life” of its devices.
“The effects of performance management on these newer models may be less noticeable due to their more advanced hardware and software design,” Apple said at the time.
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But onlookers suspected it was a ploy to push customers into buying the latest models.
France’s competition and fraud watchdog called the move “deceptive” after Apple failed to give its customers the heads-up.
Now, iOS users know ahead of time when Apple’s so-called ‘performance management’ feature has been switched on as their iPhone gets older.
If an iPhone’s battery health has deteriorated, users will receive this message: “Your battery health is significantly degraded. An Apple Authorised Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity.”
It is usually recommended that users get their batteries replaced when the maximum battery capacity hits 80%.
You can check the health of your battery at any time by going into Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
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