KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — If you need to replace your iPhone‘s battery, you have to act fast. Apple’s discounted battery replacement programme is finally coming to an end and you may have to pay more than double the price beginning 2019. 

About a year ago, several iPhone owners had experienced a significant slowdown of their smartphones due to throttling. This was a power management feature that Apple had introduced on iOS 10.2.1 to prevent sudden shutdowns caused by old or faulty batteries. 

After receiving backlash from consumers, Apple had apologised and offered a discounted battery replacement for older iPhones. This covers the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone SE. The programme was also extended to the newer iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. The latest iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR are not eligible. The discounted battery replacement programme will end on 31 December 2018. 

In Malaysia, the iPhone battery replacement currently costs RM121 and it is available at Apple’s authorised service providers which include Machines and Switch. You can also set an appointment via Apple’s support page.

Machine’s iPhone Repair Price List. — Graphic courtesy of SoyaCincau

To find out if your battery is faulty, there’s a way for you to check if you’re running on iOS 11.3 and above. If you go to Settings > Battery, you’ll find a new "Battery Health” section. On this page, it will show your current battery’s maximum capacity and it will tell you if your battery needs a replacement. 

Since the battery replacement is also subject to stock availability, it is best that you replace it now instead of waiting until the very last minute. Users are advised to perform a full backup and then a factory reset before handing in their iPhone. — SoyaCincau