Is it worth replacing an iPhone battery with an “unauthorised” one?
A long time ago (before Covid, even), I would buy a replacement iPhone battery at a shop just off Tottenham Court Road. This was before Apple introduced “authorised” replacement batteries. Alas, they are no longer there.
Your phone battery is probably due for replacement when you don’t know if it will last out until you next reach a charger. That time came for me at the end of May this year.
Upon discovering that “LoveFone” has disappeared, I had a bit of a lapse of concentration (or, if you prefer, a senior moment). I went into the very first shop round the corner on Tottenham Court Road that advertised phone batteries. £40. OK, about 1/3 more than the previous one but we’d just had covid, cost of living going up etc.
Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting in Caffe Nero while they fit it and a horrible thought strikes me. I didn’t check whether they were authorised iPhone agents and, at £40, they really couldn’t be, could they?
They weren’t
When I collected the phone and looked under Settings > Battery, it said “unknown part”. This is because the battery was not authorised by Apple. Whether this amounted to “cheaper alternative”, “counterfeit”, or “fake”, I had no way of knowing (at the time), but the omission of a capacity figure on the box would have told me all I needed to know if I’d seen it before it was too late.
Five months later, my replacement iPhone battery is on its last legs
Now I know – much nearer to “fake” than “cheaper alternative”.
As well as nearing “end of life”, there’s also no knowing whether it has posed a risk to the phone itself, or even a safety risk, for the last five months. Also, the phone hasn’t been able to report on the condition of the battery as it’s an “unknown part”.
According to Apple, it will probably cost £85 to fit a genuine replacement iPhone battery either from Apple themselves or an authorised agent, into my phone. If that lasts any longer than 10 months it will be better value than the rubbish I bought in May. Apple says:
“Your battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. The one-year warranty includes service coverage for a defective battery”
In other words, Apple reckon their batteries should last 18 months or more. If you’d like to check the status and condition of your iPhone battery:
1. Go to Settings > Battery.
2. Tap Battery Health.
3. If the battery is authorised, it will say “Genuine Apple Part” under “Battery.”
4. If the battery is not authorised, it will say “Unknown Part” under “Battery.”
I don’t know the situation with Android phones, but my guess is that it is similar – my advice is to seek an authorised agent or the manufacturer.
Conclusion: you really are buying a pig in a poke if you replace an iPhone battery with one from an unauthorised source.
For the next, thrilling, instalment, see https://www.davidleonard.london/2023/12/01/iphone-battery-encore/
Image by BiZkettE1 on Freepik
Image by bublikhaus on Freepik