Wait time for replacement iPhone batteries increases

In a note to clients — as noted by 9to5Mac — Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz says the current wait times for iPhone battery availability have gone up to 3-4.5 weeks after a series of calls to Apple Stores. The longest wait of any Apple Store was found to be 9-10 weeks.

A few weeks ago the average wait time was pegged at 2-4.5 weeks, with a forecast for steady improvements. While the research group was surprised by the increased wait times, Barclays says that, overall, the customer response to the replacement program is on track with its previous estimates. In January, Moskowitz forecasted that about 50 million iPhone users would take advantage of the program out of a total 500 million eligible devices.

In December 2017 Apple published an apology letter to customers in regards to “Batterygate” for slowing down older phones to compensate for erratic battery performance. The tech giant is offering $29 replacement batteries for those with an iPhone 6 or later. The discount, which represents a $50 savings, started in late January and ends in December 2018. Apple will also add more battery health information to iOS to let users know when the battery begins to compromise performance.